Struggling with right handed scissors. Banging elbows with everyone I’ve ever sat next to. Switching my utensils around when I sit down at dinner. As someone who is left-handed, these little inconveniences have led me to question the psychology behind our dominance, and what actually goes on in the minds of a right handed vs. left handed individual.
Where does your hand dominance come from? While it is largely a question of nature vs. nurture, current theories tell us that hand dominance is likely determined by our inherited genes. A specific gene— the RS+ or RS- (the right specialized gene)—is what in reality “decides” whether we will be left or right side dominant. When the RS+ is inherited, the given individual is right handed. However, if the RS is negative, there is the potential to be either right or left handed, with no particular preference. Here, we can see why it is so much more common to be right handed at birth. Kenzi Reiter (12) shares “I use my right hand for everything in my every-day life. I think my biggest strength in class is comprehending information and problem solving.” As a left handed individual, I notice minor differences in academic strengths, being that for me, thinking creatively is something that comes the most naturally to me.
What are consistent vs. inconsistent handers? What are the benefits? Being “consistent handed” means using your dominant hand for everything: eating, writing, playing sports, etc. Although most people operate in this way, some actually operate an “inconsistent hander” fashion, where they alter the hand they use based on the task performed. People who operate this way have less laterization, meaning the two hemispheres of the brain are less evenly distributed. “Individuals who are inconsistently handed also have better episodic memory recall…But there’s another issue: when we think about the world, our brain creates a simulation of the world,” Mr. Walls explains, “Based upon if we’re right or left handed, it can affect how we think about the world.”
If our hand dominance can affect our perception of the world, what about this perception is different consistently right vs. left handers? Researchers have found that people favor objects or items that are on their own individual dominant side. For example, right handed people are drawn to things
that lie on the right side: they associate these things with more positive, desirable traits than those on the left side, and vice versa for consistently left handers. Even more strangely, people tend to attribute positive traits to others who have the same hand dominance.
Why is this so important? While our hand dominance doesn’t just determine everything about our individual strengths, weaknesses, and personality, it is important to understand the physical differences occurring in opposite hemispheres of the mind. As we continue to learn more about our brains and how they operate, we can have more intentional control over how we learn, optimizing our learning ability, and using our brains for us and not against us. Ultimately, learning about our minds can help us understand ourselves and navigate the world around us.
