Handedness: Difference between revisions

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[[File:SantaCruz-CuevaManos-P2210651b.jpg|thumb|right|Stenciled hands at the [[Cueva de las Manos]] in Argentina. Left hands make up over 90% of the artwork, demonstrating the prevalence of right-handedness.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Podestá|first1=María Mercedes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NuG-pvgnd6IC&dq=%22Cueva+de+las+Manos%22+left+hand&pg=PA11|title=El arte rupestre de Argentina indígena: Patagonia|last2=Raffino|first2=Rodolfo A.|last3=Paunero|first3=Rafael Sebastián|last4=Rolandi|first4=Diana S.|year=2005|publisher=Grupo Abierto Communicaciones|isbn=978-987-1121-16-8|language=es|access-date=2021-03-01|archive-date=2021-10-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029010950/https://www.google.co.uk/gen_204?s=web&t=aft&atyp=csi&ei=10l7Ye-DE4K60PEP6uey8A8&rt=wsrt.491,aft.4960,prt.2585&imn=26&ima=10&imad=9&aftp=18869&bl=TGeo|url-status=live}}</ref>]]

In [[human biology]], '''handedness''' is an individual's preferential use of one [[hand]], known as the '''dominant hand''', due to it being stronger, faster or more [[Fine motor skill|dextrous]]. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjectively preferred, is called the '''non-dominant hand'''.<ref name= indiana>{{cite web | vauthors = Holder MK | url = http://www.indiana.edu/~primate/brain.html | title = What does Handedness have to do with Brain Lateralization (and who cares?) | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130326014257/http://www.indiana.edu/~primate/brain.html | archive-date=2013-03-26 | access-date = 11 August 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=dominant |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dominant |website=Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-Webster |access-date=8 March 2017 |quote='''4''' : ''biology'' : being the one of a pair of bodily structures that is the more effective or predominant in action • ''dominant'' eye • used her ''dominant'' hand |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308215527/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dominant |archive-date=8 March 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=non- |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non- |website=Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-Webster |access-date=8 March 2017 |quote=Definition of non- '''1''' : not : other than : reverse of : absence of • ''non''toxic • ''non''linear |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308141644/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non- |archive-date=8 March 2017 |url-status=live }}. ("Nondominant" is one of 945 words listed under "non-")</ref> In a study from 1975 on 7,688 children in US grades 1–6, left handers comprised 9.6% of the sample, with 10.5% of male children and 8.7% of female children being left-handed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hardyck |first1=C. |last2=Petrinovich |first2=L. F. |last3=Goldman |first3=R. D. |date=September 1976 |title=Left-handedness and cognitive deficit |journal=Cortex |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=266–279 |doi=10.1016/s0010-9452(76)80008-1 |pmid=1000995 |s2cid=4477753 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite journal | vauthors = Scharoun SM, Bryden PJ | title = Hand preference, performance abilities, and hand selection in children | journal = Frontiers in Psychology | volume = 5 | issue = 82| pages = 82 | date = 2014 | pmid = 24600414 | pmc = 3927078 | doi = 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00082 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name=bul0000229>{{cite journal |last1=Papadatou-Pastou |first1=Marietta |last2=Ntolka |first2=Eleni |last3=Schmitz |first3=Judith |last4=Martin |first4=Maryanne |last5=Munafò |first5=Marcus R. |last6=Ocklenburg |first6=Sebastian |last7=Paracchini |first7=Silvia |title=Human handedness: A meta-analysis. |journal=Psychological Bulletin |date=June 2020 |volume=146 |issue=6 |pages=481–524 |doi=10.1037/bul0000229 |pmid=32237881 |s2cid=214768754 |url=http://psyarxiv.com/5gjac/ |hdl=10023/19889 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Overall, around 90% of people are right-handed.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pfeifer |first1=Lena Sophie |last2=Schmitz |first2=Judith |last3=Papadatou-Pastou |first3=Marietta |last4=Peterburs |first4=Jutta |last5=Paracchini |first5=Silvia |last6=Ocklenburg |first6=Sebastian |title=Handedness in twins: meta-analyses |journal=BMC Psychology |date=15 January 2022 |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=11 |doi=10.1186/s40359-021-00695-3 |pmc=8760823 |pmid=35033205 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Handedness is often defined by one's writing hand, as it is fairly common for people to prefer to do a particular task with a particular hand. There are people with true [[ambidexterity]] (equal preference of either hand), but it is rare—most people prefer using one hand for most purposes.

 

 

== Evolution ==

 

== Causes ==

{{more citations needed section|date=January 2013}}

{{See also|Southpaw stance}}

Interactive sports such as table tennis, badminton and cricket have an overrepresentation of left-handedness, while non-interactive sports such as swimming show no overrepresentation. Smaller physical distance between participants increases the overrepresentation. In [[fencing]], about half the participants are left-handed.<ref name=AEP>{{cite book | vauthors = Widermann D, Barton RA, Hill RA | chapter = Evolutionary perspectives on sport and competition | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=I20uPfEjsNQC&pg=PA290 | veditors = Roberts SC | doi = 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199586073.001.0001 | title = Applied Evolutionary Psychology | year = 2011 | publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 9780199586073 }}</ref> In tennis, 40% of the [[Seed (sports)#Tennis|seeded players]] are left-handed.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last1=Graham |first1=Douglas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vKQcD6-Fs58C |title=Ideation: The Birth and Death of Ideas |last2=Bachmann |first2=Thomas T. |date=2004-04-15 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-471-47944-4 |pages=38 |language=en}}</ref> The term ''southpaw'' is sometimes used to refer to a left-handed individual, especially in [[baseball]] and [[boxing]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |date=June 2011 |title=southpaw, n. and adj. |dictionary=Oxford English Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press |url=https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/185300 |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 July 2020 |edition=3rd}}</ref> Some studies suggest that right handed male athletes tend to be statistically taller and heavier than left handed ones.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Abel & Kruger |title=Lefties are still a little shorter |journal=Perceptual and Motor Skills |date=2007 |volume=104 |issue=2 |pages=405–406 |doi=10.2466/pms.104.2.405-406 |pmid=17566429|s2cid=28204534 }}</ref>