Does the hand you write with influence your life choices?
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The hand you write with may be genetic, but it could also be influencing what food you eat, what clothes you buy and even your job applications.
When faced with two almost identical products – one on the left-hand page of a book or menu, and another on the right – studies found people will choose the product on the page that matches their lead hand.
A psychologist also discovered that forcing someone to use their weaker hand can sway this preference the other way.
When faced with two almost identical products - one on the left-hand page of a book or menu, stock image pictured, and another on the right - studies found people will choose the product on the page that matches the hand they write with. But, when participants were forced to use their weaker hand, this built-in bias switched
LEFT-HANDED PEOPLE MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP MOOD DISORDERS
Left-handed people are more likely to develop psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, than mood disorders such as depression, according to recent research.
A study from the University Medical Centre Utrecht found that among people with mental illnesses, left-handed people are more likely to suffer from psychotic disorders than illnesses such as depression.
The researchers said 11 per cent of people diagnosed with mood disorders are left-handed, compared to 40 per cent of those with schizophrenia.
The proportion of people with mood disorders who are left-handed - 11 per cent - is similar to the proportion of people in the whole population who are left-handed.
Daniel Casasanto from the University of Chicago tested his theory through a series of studies.
During the first experiment, adults were shown two images of aliens on opposite pages of a book before being asked to rate each image, based on attractiveness, trustworthiness, honesty and intelligence.
The right-handed participants tended to award more positive traits to the alien on the right page, while left-handed people preferred the left.
In follow up tests, the participants were shown two products with almost identical descriptions on opposite pages, followed by the CVs of job applicants - and the same result happened.
The right-handed people opted for the right product or applicant, the left-handed opted for the left.
Professor Casasanto calls this 'the body-specifity hypothesis.'
But, when participants were forced to use their weaker hand, this built-in bias switched allegiance and the previously right-handed people would favour products and images on the left.
To determine if this was an adult-only trait, researchers also asked children to put their favourite toys in a right- or left-hand box. Children, like adults in the previous test, chose to put their favourite toys in the box on the same side as their dominant hand. Stock image pictured
To determine if this was an adult-only trait, researchers also gave a drawing of a bookshelf to children. The drawing had boxes positioned either side of it.
They were asked to place their favourite toys in one box, and the toys they disliked in the other.
Children, like adults in the previous test, chose to put their favourite toys in the box on the same side as their dominant hand.
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