The Eminent Left-handed Minority

A Research Paper

Presented to

The University of Santo Tomas

College of Nursing

In Partial Fulfilment

of the Requirements for

English 3

By

RLE II-6.2

Limbonhai, JeffreyLina, Donne Guilbert

Lipata, JuliusLiwag, Anne JellieLiwag, Liza Marie

Llanera, Daniel KevinLo, Andrea NikaLontoc, Ian GinLopez, Stephen

Lorena, Philip Cedric

October 15, 2009

The Eminent Left-handed Minority

Thesis Statement:

Left-handedness brings about a significant change in the normal human physiology and appearance which causes left-handed people certain advantages and disadvantages in education, sports, arts, and technology, thus giving them more chances of being unique and outstanding in society.

Topic Outline:

I. Introduction……………………………………………………….……….....................…1

II. The human brain and left-handedness…………………………………….....................…1

III. Theories on the left-handed phenomenon…………………………………........................2

A. Genetically inherited………………………………………....................................2

B. Environmentally influenced………………………………………….....................3

IV. Advantages & disadvantages of left-handed people in the society......................................4

A. On cognition and education……………………………….…………....................4

B. On sports………………………………………………….………….....................5

C. On arts…………………………………………………….………….....................6

D. On technology…………………………………………….………….....................7

V. Significant Left-handed people in the society ………………….………….......................7

VI. Conclusion …………………………………………………….…………….....................8

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The human body is truly an entity full of perplexities. It has many facets which humans,

themselves, are still investigating upon. One of which is handedness, an interesting prominent

characteristic of a human because of three things: its functioning, occurrence, and its

implications. Handedness, particularly left-handedness, can be observed as a body process;

therefore, it primarily involves the central control of our body which is the nervous system.

However, the question is how handedness affects the control center or vice versa which may

bring about certain characteristics. Moreover, handedness of a person naturally develops and is

not fixed at birth. Up this time there has been no concrete study and explanation as to why

people prefer one hand over the other, and why the percentage of people being right-handed is

greater than the people who are left-handed. Nevertheless, some say that it may be genetically

passed on, but may change due to some environmental factors. Last, because of the different

characteristics it may bring upon to a person, it would give certain implications, advantages

and disadvantages to individuals.

This library research paper seeks not only to describe and analyze the subject of left-

handedness but also to uncover the relationship of left-handedness to today’s society. Before

those, one should first discover the how left-handedness works in relation to the central control

of the human body.

Humans, in order for them to move, think, write, speak, imagine, solve problems, and

perform other cognitive processes, need a central control over their bodies. This core is known

as the human brain. Because handedness involves a preferential movement of a body part, the

primary structure to be focused and studied on is the brain.

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The brain can be divided into the left and the right cerebral hemispheres. According to

Springer and Deutsch (1985), these two hemispheres are tightly packed together inside the

skull and are linked by several distinct nerve fibers which serve as channels of communication

between them. This division of the brain also gives us some interesting characteristics of its

function and control. First, these two hemispheres are approximately mirror images of each

other; in fact, some of their functions which control body movements and sensation are evenly

divided between them. Second, they control the body in a crossed fashion wherein the right

hemisphere controls the left side of the body and the left hemisphere, the right side of the body.

Last, their functions are asymmetric, which means that they have different areas of control.

Many researches such as those made by Marc Dax in the 19th century and John Hughlings

Jackson in 1864 had been made regarding the asymmetry of function of the two hemispheres.

These researches concluded that the left, or dominant, hemisphere is related with verbal and

language abilities, science and mathematical problem-solving and linear-thinking mode; while

the right hemisphere is related to musical and artistic skills, perception, emotions, and the

holistic-thinking mode (“Anything Left-Handed”, 2009).

The theories about the asymmetry of function of the two brain hemispheres are not yet

accurate; however, in line with the research about these functions, specific theories on the

occurrence of this phenomenon have already been presented.

Among the theories that were proposed by different researchers as to how handedness

occurred, only few were supported by facts and yet these facts are not enough in order for one

theory to emerge acceptable to all. One of these studies supported by facts is the genetic theory

of left-handedness which states that, left-handedness is a recessive gene, and right-handedness

is the dominant one. This would explain why left-handedness occurs more frequently in a

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family where there is a background of left-handedness (Kalafut, 2009). However, in a recent

study done last August, 2007 by Kate Ravilious in her article entitled Gene for Left-Handed

Trait Discovered in the National Graphic News, it was mentioned that the gene called

LRRTM1 is the gene that affects the symmetry of the brain but was claimed not to be directly

responsible for the occurrence of having a left-handed in the family. This gene was discovered

by Clyde Francks, the leading author of a new study on the gene at Oxford University, together

with his colleagues during a study of hundred families with dyslexic children. Here, they

associated such neurologic learning disability, together with other neurologic problems like

schizophrenia, with the occurrence of left-handedness since very few uses their left hand in

writing and in doing activities of daily living . With this, the researchers took genetic samples

from all the families involved, and they noticed that a particular chromosome showed a

correlation with handedness. However, the researchers need further study for them to find out

what role the gene plays in brain development and at what point it is active, whether during

fetal development, childhood, or adulthood (Ravilious, 2007).

On the contrary, theories related to left-handedness are not limited to genetics. There

are also theories in which left-handedness is thought to be caused by environmental influences.

One theory explains that the use of ultrasound scans may affect the brain of the fetus, thus

causing higher chances of them being left-handed in mothers who have ultrasound scans

compares to those who do not (Johnson and Daviss, 2005). The second theory explains that

birth stress can be a reason due to the damage it causes to the brain during the birth process.

Babies who grow up to be left-handed or ambidextrous frequently happen when they

experienced a stressful or difficult birth. However, left-handedness is not the only result of

birth stress. It can lead to birth defects and complications, like autism and cerebral palsy.

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These are just some of the theories revolving around the concept of left-handedness as

influenced by the external environment. Though none of the theories on both genetic and

environmental associations are proven and absolute, it is still important to continually discover

the truth behind the occurrence of left-handedness because of the advantages and

disadvantages it brings to people who are with this confounding condition.

With much said earlier, left-handed people are better in visual-spatial abilities because

of their specialized imagination and insight provided by the right brain hemisphere (Sperry,

1975; Hardyck and Petrinovych, 1977; Lewis and Harris, 1990). Using better scales to test for

cognitive abilities, left-handed people are found to have extreme ability in mathematical

reasoning and are over-represented among architects, advanced art students, and

mathematicians (Lewis and Harris, 1990). On the other hand, they are most likely to have

lower performance on verbal and temporal-sequential processing of information. Left-handed

students account for 10 – 15% of members of remedial reading classes (“Left-Handedness and

Education”).

Though left-handed people have reversed specialization, some of them may be gifted

with a mixed specialization allowing them to excel in all fields of cognition supported by both

hemispheres of the brain (Hardyck and Petrinovych, 1977). This may be supported by a

research headed by Galaburda suggesting that prenatal exposure to high levels of testosterone

enhances the further development of the right hemisphere without slowing or inhibiting the

development of the other hemisphere (O’Boyle and Benbow, 1990). This makes the phrase,

“two heads are better than one,” applicable to the unique advantages of left-handed individuals

on education. Many researches emerged to specify the accurate cognitive ability of left-handed

people but none of them provided a solid standard for such. If handedness is affected by such

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factors like family, cultural preferences, educational practices or genetic factors (Hardyck and

Petrinovych, 1977) so are the cognitive abilities of individuals (Lewis and Harris, 1990).

Beside the cognitive function, there are other areas where left-handed individuals are said to

excel.

Left-handedness not only give people something special with regard to their thinking

processes, but they also have an upper hand and few disadvantages in physical activities like

sports.

The first advantage is that left-handed individuals have a higher chance of surviving

hand-to-hand combat due to their smaller number and unfamiliarity. This is in line with the

“Fighting Hypothesis”. In 2004, Raymond and Faurie concluded that in places with a higher

rate of violence, more left-handed people thrive. In sports like boxing, their element of surprise

is a benefit. Most fighters would be accustomed in competing against opponents in the

orthodox stance; but opponents in the southpaw stance would be more difficult to prepare for

since they have different approaches. This is why trainers would even coach their fighters to

adapt the unorthodox position in order to counter the left-handed advantage.

Second, left-handed individuals have better spatial awareness and visual processing.

This can cause the athlete to see things in a 3-dimensional perspective allowing him/her better

awareness of his/her surroundings (“Things Left-Handers are Good At”, 2009, para 2).

Last, these individuals may generate a psychological effect wherein a right-handed

athlete may have a decrease in confidence and may have a disadvantaged perception of the

match knowing he has an unorthodox opponent although no proper research has been made for

this claim (Leading With Their Left...The Advantages of Left-Handers in Sports, 2009, para 5).

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One disadvantage though for being left-handed though is that the main bulk of sports

equipment being manufactured is fitted for right-handed players. Many aspects affect the

outcome of a game, but it is acceptable to say that left-handed individuals have an advantage

against the common right.

Also, some left-handed individuals are recognized for their accomplishments in the

field of music and arts. Only 5 – 30% of the population is left-handed, and the occurrence of

left-handedness is significantly higher among artists than among the general population (S.

Springer and G. Deutsch, 1985). In 1993, a research by Hassler and Gupta detected that there is

a higher level of musical talent in a left-handed individual versus a right-handed one (K.M.

Heilman, 2005).  Processing in the right brain is very quick and the style of processing is non-

linear and non-sequential. So the right brain is said to be associated with creativity.

There are also some disadvantages in being left-handed in relation to arts. Writing or

drawing may be difficult for a left-handed artist because their hands often trail over the

previously written words or drawings and can cause smudging. In the field of music, left-

handed guitar models are very rare. The other only solution to this is to re-string the guitar for

the use of a left-handed person or to invert the guitar and play the chords upside down.

Many left-handed people are recognized in the field of arts but one must not

immediately assume that if a person is left-handed he or she is creative. It is also important to

note that hand dominance is not directly related to brain dominance (M. Boddy-Evans).

Intelligence, talent, and environmental factors interact with an individual’s pattern of

hemispheric dominance and language localization and can therefore affect the creativity of a

person (“Research on Left-Handedness”, 1998).

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Regarding modern technology, in the past few years there have been some major leaps

and advances in applied sciences, and it is hard not to notice that these advances make life

much easier and more productive at the same time. But with that said, do left-handed people

also benefit from these advancements? Almost all technology is customized for right handed

people which can be quite a problem for left-hand. Even the mouse and keyboard or something

as simple as a ballpoint pen can be a burden for left-handed individuals to use (“Writing

Implements,” 2009; “Computer Equipment,” 2009). Machines were designed for right

operators; therefore, increasing the risk for accidents and sometimes death. Only a few items

are convenient for left-handed people to use an example of this is the sextant (tool which

measures the altitude of a celestial body) which allows left-handed people to use it with their

left hand while writing with the same hand (“Left-handedness”). Technologies designed for

left-handed people. If there are more of these developments, it could lead to additional

productivity and efficiency on the part of humanity.

As stated in the above text, left-handedness gives people many diverse characteristics

which are “special” skills and processes that contribute to their potentiality to become someone

“gifted”. Presented in the following texts are some of the most prominent left-handers in

history.

Before the birth of Christ, wars were inevitable since by that time nations were craving

for the expansion of their land. One outstanding person by the name of Alexander the Great,

who unified Greece’s divided lands; moreover, he conquered lands encompassing the lands of

Persia up to India’s border (“Alexander the Great”). Even the 43rd President of the U.S. is left-

handed. He is George H. W. Bush known for leading the United Nations in the Gulf War

versus Iraq led by Saddam Hussein (Naftali T., 2000). Hellen Keller, a deaf and blind woman

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who in contrary of her status, still manage to go on with her life with honor and pride. By 24

years of age, she graduated from Radcliffe College as a cum laude (“Hellen Keller”). Because

of his paintings like “Mona Lisa,” and “The Last Supper,” almost everyone in this world

knows Leonardo da Vinci. He was also an architect, inventor, engineer and sculptor at the

same time. He had a “notebook” of 13,000 pages containing sketches of military inventions

like guns, tanks, bombs, submarines etc. In addition, he also contributed to the anatomical

drawings of the human body (Zollner F. 1998). Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influencing

people in the world, is indeed a left-handed person. Having her daytime talk show “Oprah,”

many were inclined to her fine characteristics. She donates huge amounts of charity to the

underprivileged and she sees to it that everyone who watches her sees poverty is getting way

more serious than before by including it as a segment in her show (Wright W. 2007). Even left-

handed Filipinos are making their way to the top. A good exemplar to this is Manny “Pacman”

Pacquiao. With blazing speed and left-handed power that hurt like a bigger’s man, Pacman is a

sure fit to all titles he gained. (“Manny Pacquiao”)

Truly, left-handedness has been a perplexing subject in history. It covers certain

theories from its occurrence, implications up until the diversity of the human physiology. In

relation to why such a phenomenon occurs, it does not revolve mainly on the scientific

rationale whether it is genetically transferred or not. It also involves several external factors in

relation to the process of childbirth like exposure to radioactive waves, experiencing stress and

difficulty on the part of the mother during the actual delivery of the baby. Because of these

many contributing factors, no specific theory or notion can give enough evidence that will

explain the said phenomenon. It only gives the possibility that individuals possessing such trait

have the advantage on a particular skill specifically in the field of arts, sports, and technology

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but may also show some disadvantages in other fields. Nevertheless, being a left-handed

person does not mean that one is different from the rest. It only shows how one can withstand a

world different from theirs.

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References

Book SourcesHeilman, K. M. (2005). Creativity and the brain. Psychology Press.Johnson, K., & Daviss, B. (2005). Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional

midwives: large prospective study in North America. British Medical Journal 2005, 300, 1416.

Lewis, R., & Harris, L. (1990). Handedness, Sex and Spatial Ability. In S. Coren (Ed.), Left Handedness: Behavioral Implications and Anomalies (pp. 319-341). North Holland: Elsevier Science Publishers.

Naftali T. (2000) George H. W. Bush: the American Presidents Series: The 41st President, 1989-1993 (The American Presidents). Mishawaka, IN, USA: Better World Books.

O’Boyle, M., & Benbow, C. (1990). Handedness and Its Relationship to Ability and Talent. In S. Coren (Ed.), Left Handedness: Behavioral Implications and Anomalies (pp. 319-341). North Holland: Elsevier Science Publishers.

Springer, S.P. & Deutsch, G. (1985). Left Brain, Right Brain. San Francisco, California: W.H. Freeman & Company.

Zollner F. (1998) Leonardo Da Vinci: the Complete Paintings, Sketches and Drawings. USA: Taschen

Journal/Article SourcesHardyck, C., & Petrinovich, L., (1977 May). Left-Handedness. Psychological Bulletin, 84(3),

385-404.Sperry, R. (1975, August 9). Left-Brain, Right-Brain. Saturday Review, pp. 30-33.Web Sources“Leading With Their Left...The Advantages of Left-Handers in Sports.” Retrieved from

http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/sports.html “Things Left-Handers are Good At.” Retrieved from

http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/lefty_advantages.htmlAlexander the Great. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_GreatBeing Left-Handed. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.theworldofstuff.com/lefty/Boddy-Evans, M. (n.d.). Right Brain / Left Brain: What Is It All About?. Retrieved from

http://painting.about.com/od/rightleftbrain/a/Right_Brain.htmHellen Keller. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellen_KellerLeft handedness. Retrieved from http://molly.kalafut.org/lefthanded/lefthanded.htmlManny Pacquiao. Retrieved September 24, 2009, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manny_PacquiaoWright, W. (2007). The Left-Handed Celebrities List of Famous Left-Handed Actresses.

Retrieved from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/453230/the_lefthanded_celebrities_list_of.html

Left-Handedness and Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/lefty_education.html