The purpose of this study was to determine if students having a laboratory-oriented science course at the ninth grade level demonstrate a different rate of development of certain psychomotor abilities than do students not having such a course. The three abilities tested for were: (1) motor coordination, (2) manual dexterity, and (3) finger dexterity. The population consisted of 261 junior high school students. All except two control classes were studying Introductory Physical Science. Five psychomotor tests selected from the General Aptitude Test Battery were employed in a test-retest configuration. The results indicated that ninth grade science students do develop the psychomotor abilities of motor coordination and manual dexterity, however, this development did not reach statistical significance. Almost no development of finger dexterity was demonstrated. The author concluded that psychomotor ability evaluation of science students seems unwarranted at the present time, and that present laboratory activities are important only insofar as they reinforce cognitive factors. (Author/JR)