Left-handed Thinking

November 07, 2009

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Left-handed Thinking

by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Do left-handed children and adults think differently than right-handers? The answer seems to be yes--and no. Looking at a more or less random selection of research studies, here are some of the results you can find:

Left-handed children are more likely to test out as highly creative and to have extremely high verbal or math ability--both of which are considered to be predominantly left-brain functions.

Among children with autism and other developmental disabilities, there is a higher proportion of left-handers than in the population as a whole.

Some research shows that left-handers are more likely to have dyslexia. Other studies, however, find no such thing.

Some believe that left-handers are more likely to be "right-brained"--that is, high in visual-spatial abilities and low in analytical-verbal abilities. In some studies, however, non-right-handers score lower (not higher) on nonverbal abilities, and in many other studies there is no difference in nonverbal IQ between left-handed and right-handed children.

Some research has suggested that left-handed people die sooner--in one case, several years sooner!--than right-handed ones. Other, larger studies have found very little, if any, difference. On the other hand, it seems clear that left-handed children and adults have a greater risk of hand injury, and perhaps injury in general, because many tools (including power tools) are available only in right-handed versions.

There is conflicting evidence about whether left-handedness goes along with a variety of medical diagnoses, including migraine headaches, seizures, and rare immune system problems.

This is just a smattering of the hundreds of studies that have looked at how left-handed people think. How can all of these very different findings be true? They probably aren't. Some are almost certainly chance findings that are unlikely to be reproduced. The laws of statistics say that if you ask enough questions, you'll get some surprising answers solely by chance.

More likely to be gifted--or cognitively disabled?
In a thorough review of the research on handedness and intelligence, Dorothy Bishop concluded in 1990 that there was no consistent link between IQ--or reading or writing--and handedness. Some research has suggested that having left-handedness in the family might go along with lower test scores, but again, the research is not consistent or convincing. For every study that found a positive effect, there is a larger, better-done study that found no effect.

As a whole, left-handed people aren't more or less intelligent than right-handed ones, and on average, there doesn't seem to be a "left-handed" way of thinking. It may still be true, however, that left-handed people are overrepresented both among the cognitively gifted and among those with cognitive disabilities. The number of children who fall into either of these groups is small, and when you mix them in with the general population, these children don't change the averages.

What should a parent do?
If your child is left-handed, you don't need to worry that she is destined to have learning disabilities or assume that she is going to be gifted (which causes problems of its own). On the other hand, being left-handed may increase the chances that she'll have particular strengths or weaknesses in her thinking, which you will want to know about.

So, pay attention to your child, and watch how her unique profile of strengths and weaknesses develops. Be ready to support her gifts, and help her deal with any special challenges. Of course, this advice goes for any child, not just a left-handed one. But for children who are different in one way (handedness), it may be wise to give special attention to their individuality.

More information:

Famous Left-handers

Handedness Facts and Puzzles

Questions about Handedness


RELATED INFORMATION

			Handedness Facts and Puzzles
			Handedness and the Brain
			Handedness

Handedness

Created June 10, 2001
Reviewed August 26, 2004

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