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Related Experiment Videos

Cognitive abilities in left-handers: writing posture revisited.

T W Teasdale1, D R Owen

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Njalsgade 88, 2300, Copenhagen, Denmark. teasdale@psy.ku.dk

Neuropsychologia
|August 23, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Inverted left-handed writing posture is linked to better cognitive abilities in young men. This finding suggests the posture may be adaptive, but cultural factors could influence its adoption.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Human Biology

Background:

  • Left-handedness occurs in approximately 10-13% of the population.
  • Writing posture among left-handers varies, with some adopting an inverted or hook-like style.
  • Previous research on the cognitive correlates of left-handed writing postures has yielded mixed results.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between left-handed writing posture and cognitive performance.
  • To determine if an inverted writing posture is associated with enhanced cognitive abilities in left-handers.
  • To explore potential socio-cultural influences on the adoption of specific writing postures.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 1848 young men undergoing Danish draft board assessments were evaluated.

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  • Participants were categorized based on handedness (left vs. right) and writing posture (inverted, non-inverted, or unclassifiable).
  • Cognitive abilities were assessed using a battery of four standardized tests.

    • Main Results:

    • No significant cognitive differences were found between left- and right-handers overall.
    • Left-handers using an inverted writing posture demonstrated significantly better performance on two cognitive tests and the total test battery score compared to non-inverted left-handers.
    • A substantial proportion of left-handers (51%) adopted an inverted writing posture.

    Conclusions:

    • The inverted writing posture appears to be adaptive for left-handers, potentially correlating with higher cognitive abilities.
    • The findings suggest that cognitive capacity might influence the likelihood of adopting an inverted writing style.
    • The observed association contrasts with earlier research, indicating that socio-cultural factors may play a significant role in the prevalence and adoption of this writing posture.