A team of researchers at the MSH Medical School in Hamburg, Germany, says left-handers tend to be more competitive and more prone to rivalry than right-handers.
The researchers say the high level of what they call a “hypercompetitive orientation” among left-handers comes from a very strong desire to win. They argue this finding sheds new light on the evolution of left-handedness, which affects about 10 percent of the world’s population.
Previous studies have already to better language-learning ability, greater creativity, and stronger performance in certain sports.
What the study found
For their study, the team analyzed survey data from 483 right-handers and 50 left-handers.
The analysis showed right-handers were more likely to avoid competitions than left-handers, and left-handers also scored higher on measures of competitiveness.
Commenting on the results, Professor of Psychology Sebastian Ocklenburg said right-handers may have an edge in some cooperative behaviors—for example, learning to make something by watching others.
Left-handers often have an advantage in competitive situations, such as fights. “Their attacks in a fight are more unexpected,” Professor Ocklenburg said. He also pointed out that previous studies have found lefties tend to do better in certain sports, like fencing and badminton. But to actually benefit from that advantage, left-handers have to be “very competitive and actively seek out conflict situations or sports competitions,” the psychologist said.
The study could ultimately help explain the success of some of the best-known left-handers, the Daily Mail reports.
In a piece published on the Psychology Today blog, the team also wrote that “most teachers are probably right-handed, so right-handed students often find it easier to pick up new tasks.”
What other researchers say
Last year, a team of Italian researchers wrote in Scientific Reports that “left-handers are a minority of the world’s population, and a possible advantage of belonging to this minority is a more pronounced ‘surprise’ effect in fights and sports.”
The Italian team suggests that being part of a minority might be the key factor driving a strong desire to compete and to win. Overall, researchers say left-handers “display a wide variability of talents,” but that variability still lacks a clear explanation.
Researchers have also found that left-handed leaders tend to be more innovative and creative, and that companies led by left-handed people can show higher profitability.
Experts have also found that men are more likely than women to be left-handed.
The most successful left-handers often take pride in their left-handedness. Here are a few well-known lefties: Leonardo da Vinci, Diego Maradona, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Eminem, Justin Bieber, Tom Cruise, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, Nicole Kidman, Bill Gates.
