US EditionMeta-Analysis Finds No Creative Edge for Left-Handers
UNITED STATES, JUL 1 – Analysis of nearly 1,000 studies found no creativity advantage for left-handed people; right-handers scored higher on divergent thinking tests, researchers said.
- A team of academics from institutions in the United States and Hong Kong reviewed close to 1,000 studies dating back to 1900 to investigate the connection between which hand people prefer to use and their creative abilities.
- This study challenged the widespread belief that people who are left-handed possess greater creativity, a notion partly influenced by their noticeable presence in certain artistic professions.
- The researchers analyzed information on occupations from close to 12,000 individuals spanning over 770 job categories and observed that left-handed people were more common in music and art professions, but this trend did not extend to other creative careers such as architecture or physics.
- Psychologist Daniel Casasanto clarified that scientific evidence does not indicate that left-handed individuals possess greater creative abilities. He attributed the persistence of this misconception to selective referencing of limited studies and the belief in "left-handed exceptionalism," which incorrectly links the rarity of left-handedness with exceptional creativity.
- The findings challenge the stereotype by showing left-handedness does not confer greater creativity, highlighting that creativity depends on multiple factors beyond hand dominance.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Study says lefties aren’t more creative after all
For decades, popular belief has held that left-handed people are more creative than their right-handed peers. From Leonardo da Vinci and Mozart to Lady Gaga and Jimi Hendrix, the world is full of famous left-handed artists and performers. But a new study from Cornell University finds no evidence that being left-handed makes someone more creative. “In fact, there is some evidence that righties are more creative in some laboratory tests, and stron…
Debunking the Left-Handed Creativity Myth: New Research Findings
The belief that left-handed individuals are more creative is challenged by recent research. An analysis of studies from Cornell University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong reveals no significant link between left-handedness and creativity, debunking longstanding myths that associate lefties with creative genius and mental illness.
Are lefties really more creative? 100 years of data say no
A sweeping review of more than a century’s research upends the popular notion that left-handers are naturally more creative. Cornell psychologist Daniel Casasanto’s team sifted nearly a thousand studies, ultimately finding no consistent advantage for lefties on standard divergent-thinking tests—and even a slight edge for right-handers in some. The myth appears to thrive on coincidence: left-handedness is rare and so is creative genius, plus left…
Why are lefties more creative? Turns out, they're not
What do Leonardo da Vinci, M.C. Escher and Jimi Hendrix have in common? They're just a few of the creative geniuses also known for being left-handed, helping to fuel the widespread belief that lefties are more creative.
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