Myth debunked: Left-handed people don’t have superior spatial vision

Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie and Lionel Messi share a common trait — they are all left-handed. The brilliance of these renowned figures in art, science and sports has perpetuated the myths surrounding left-handed people. They are often believed to possess heightened intelligence and creativity, though they may face a shorter lifespan due to cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, the debate on whether being left-handed confers superior abilities in perceiving, transforming and recreating visual-spatial relationships has persisted for decades. However, a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of York and University College London has debunked this notion. The study published by the Royal Society involved 400,000 participants from 41 countries, and found that left-handers do not possess superior spatial skills.

A few years ago, Alzheimer’s Research U.K. and a group of researchers developed a mobile game called Sea Hero Quest. In the game, players assume the role of a sailor navigating seas and rivers using a series of maps that they need to memorize. As the levels progress, the challenges become more complex. The scientific aim of the game, downloaded by over four million people, was to investigate the relationship between dementia and spatial orientation. The goal was to determine whether Alzheimer’s or disorientation comes first.

Pablo Fernández Velasco, a Spanish researcher with the University of York, and his team used Sea Hero Quest to study left-handedness. The app captures user information, including hand preference and navigation skills. Analyzing data from 422,772 participants worldwide, they found that left-handers perform similarly to right-handers in spatial challenges, settling the debate on the link between handedness and spatial abilities. Left-handers accounted for 9.94% of the participants, with more men than women using their left hands. These findings align with the general population, where approximately 10% are left-handed, and it is more common in men (13%) than women (9%).

Out of the nearly half a million participants, this study focused on those who achieved level 11 in the game, indicating superior spatial abilities. “Recruiting participants for our study through a video game is a new approach that helped us standardize a test in a large database,” said Fernández. “We expected different results, but we didn’t find any reliable evidence of a difference in spatial ability between left-handers and right-handers across countries.” Fernández also noted that the comprehensive database enabled them to validate that variables like age, gender and education have no impact on the correlation between hand preference and spatial ability.

The brain consists of two hemispheres that control opposite sides of the body. In right-handers, the left hemisphere controls the dominant right hand, while in left-handers, it’s the opposite. Certain cognitive abilities are dominated by one hemisphere, but left-handers and right-handers exhibit different patterns of lateralization (the specialization of specific areas).

Cognitive differences resulting from laterality effects in the brain have been identified in other studies, but there is no clear evidence that spatial ability is dominated by either hemisphere. Emma Karlsson, a neuroscience researcher at Bangor University (U.K.) says that while evidence suggests spatial orientation is generally dependent on the right side of the brain, it’s important to note that this does not indicate superiority or inferiority. “Navigation is probably not reliant on a single function, but rather on the interplay of multiple brain functions,” she said.

Scientists are still unsure about the possible connection between laterality and different abilities. Left-handers exhibit more diversity in the dominant side of the brain for specific tasks, like using the right side for processing language-related information instead of the left. However, Karlsson suggests that the answer is likely more nuanced, with left-handedness affecting certain brain functions but not all. “Further research is necessary to understand its impact on specific cognitive functions.”

Are there more left-handed artists and astronauts?

Left-handed athletes are often overrepresented in professional sports that require quick and precise reactions. This may explain why left-handed individuals seem to excel in certain arts and professions, and are more prevalent among musicians and astronauts. Fernández believes that the structure of the sport or activity also plays a role. In sports like baseball, cricket and table tennis where players are predominantly right-handed, they may find it challenging to react quickly to the unfamiliar movements of left-handed opponents.

Previous research has indicated that left-handers may possess better navigation skills in both virtual and real games, which is why Fernández says it was a challenging topic to research. To obtain conclusive results in testing the effects of laterality, it is necessary to consider factors such as cultural variations in left-side body skills. Additionally, a large number of participants are required for accurate analysis. “Previous studies had only 200 to 400 participants,” he said.

Using the Sea Hero Quest video game, the researchers were able to overcome both challenges. “Our results were universal as they encompassed many diverse cultures and languages,” said Fernández. Although there’s still much to discover about cognition, Fernández believes that they have shown that skills like spatial navigation are not influenced by handedness and do not impact performance in Sea Hero Quest. However, he doesn’t rule out the possibility of other studies finding differences in navigation styles or preferences for different environments.

Left-handed people have historically faced discrimination in many countries and cultures. However, in the late 20th century, they started being associated with creativity and genius, particularly in the Western world. Once associated with clumsiness, bad luck and even evil, left-handedness was widely believed to be linked to greater mathematical talent, superior spatial abilities and exceptional intelligence test results. These myths have persisted in our popular culture without sufficient scientific evidence to support them.

Science now has tools to unravel the mysteries of left-handedness. While unknowns remain, recent research suggests handedness is the result of genetic, biological and environmental factors. This new study seems to have definitely debunked the notion that left-handed individuals have superior spatial vision, but research on this topic will surely continue. As Emma Karlsson points out, it’s crucial to deepen our understanding of how these functions are organized in the brain.

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