Editing Handedness (section)

{{Short description|Preference or tendency}}
{{About|left-, right- and mixed-handedness in humans|physical objects which are "handed"|Chirality|other uses|Handedness (disambiguation)}}
{{hatnote group|{{Redirect|Left-hander|other uses|Left-Hander (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect2|Leftie|Rightie|the political orientations|Left-wing politics|and|Right-wing politics}}
}}
[[File:SantaCruz-CuevaManos-P2210651b.jpg|thumb|Stenciled hands at the [[Cueva de las Manos]] in Argentina. Left hands make up over 90% of the artwork, demonstrating the prevalence of right-handedness.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Podestá|first1=María Mercedes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NuG-pvgnd6IC&dq=%22Cueva+de+las+Manos%22+left+hand&pg=PA11|title=El arte rupestre de Argentina indígena: Patagonia|last2=Raffino|first2=Rodolfo A.|last3=Paunero|first3=Rafael Sebastián|last4=Rolandi|first4=Diana S.|year=2005|publisher=Grupo Abierto Communicaciones|isbn=978-987-1121-16-8|language=es|access-date=2021-03-01|archive-date=2021-10-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029010950/https://www.google.co.uk/gen_204?s=web&t=aft&atyp=csi&ei=10l7Ye-DE4K60PEP6uey8A8&rt=wsrt.491,aft.4960,prt.2585&imn=26&ima=10&imad=9&aftp=18869&bl=TGeo|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
[[File:تلميذة_تكتب_بيدها_اليسرى.jpg|thumb|A schoolgirl writing with her left hand]]
In [[human biology]], '''handedness''' is an individual's preferential use of one [[hand]], known as the '''dominant hand''', due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more [[Fine motor skill|dextrous]]. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjectively preferred, is called the '''non-dominant hand'''.<ref name= indiana>{{cite web | vauthors = Holder MK | url = http://www.indiana.edu/~primate/brain.html | title = What does Handedness have to do with Brain Lateralization (and who cares?) | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130326014257/http://www.indiana.edu/~primate/brain.html | archive-date=2013-03-26 | access-date = 11 August 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=dominant |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dominant |website=Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-Webster |access-date=8 March 2017 |quote='''4''' : ''biology'' :  being the one of a pair of bodily structures that is the more effective or predominant in action • ''dominant'' eye • used her ''dominant'' hand |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308215527/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dominant |archive-date=8 March 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=non- |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non- |website=Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-Webster |access-date=8 March 2017 |quote=Definition of non- '''1''' :  not :  other than :  reverse of :  absence of • ''non''toxic • ''non''linear |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308141644/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non- |archive-date=8 March 2017 |url-status=live }}. ("Nondominant" is one of 945 words listed under "non-")</ref> In a study from 1975 on 7,688 children in US grades 1–6, left handers comprised 9.6% of the sample, with 10.5% of male children and 8.7% of female children being left-handed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hardyck |first1=C. |last2=Petrinovich |first2=L. F. |last3=Goldman |first3=R. D. |date=September 1976 |title=Left-handedness and cognitive deficit |journal=Cortex |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=266–279 |doi=10.1016/s0010-9452(76)80008-1 |pmid=1000995 |s2cid=4477753 |doi-access=free  | issn = 0010-9452}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite journal | vauthors = Scharoun SM, Bryden PJ | title = Hand preference, performance abilities, and hand selection in children | journal = Frontiers in Psychology | volume = 5 | issue = 82| pages = 82 | date = 2014 | pmid = 24600414 | pmc = 3927078 | doi = 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00082 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name=bul0000229>{{cite journal |last1=Papadatou-Pastou |first1=Marietta |last2=Ntolka |first2=Eleni |last3=Schmitz |first3=Judith |last4=Martin |first4=Maryanne |last5=Munafò |first5=Marcus R. |last6=Ocklenburg |first6=Sebastian |last7=Paracchini |first7=Silvia |title=Human handedness: A meta-analysis. |journal=Psychological Bulletin |date=June 2020 |volume=146 |issue=6 |pages=481–524 |doi=10.1037/bul0000229 |pmid=32237881 |s2cid=214768754 |url=http://psyarxiv.com/5gjac/ |hdl=10023/19889 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Overall, around 90% of people are right-handed.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pfeifer |first1=Lena Sophie |last2=Schmitz |first2=Judith |last3=Papadatou-Pastou |first3=Marietta |last4=Peterburs |first4=Jutta |last5=Paracchini |first5=Silvia |last6=Ocklenburg |first6=Sebastian |title=Handedness in twins: meta-analyses |journal=BMC Psychology |date=15 January 2022 |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=11 |doi=10.1186/s40359-021-00695-3 |pmc=8760823 |pmid=35033205 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Handedness is often defined by one's writing hand. It is fairly common for people to prefer to do a particular task with a particular hand. [[Cross-dominance|Mixed-handed]] people change hand preference depending on the task.

Not to be confused with handedness, [[ambidexterity]] describes having equal ability in both hands. Those who learn it still tend to favor their originally dominant hand. Natural ambidexterity (equal preference of either hand) does exist, but it is rare—most people prefer using one hand for most purposes. 

Most research suggests that left-handedness has an [[epigenetic]] marker—a combination of genetics, biology and the environment. In some cultures, the use of the left hand can be considered disrespectful. Because the vast majority of the population is right-handed, many devices are designed for use by right-handed people, making their use by left-handed people more difficult.<ref name=":2" /> In many countries, left-handed people are or were required to write with their right hands. However, left-handed people have an advantage in [[sport]]s that involve aiming at a target in an area of an opponent's control, as their opponents are more accustomed to the right-handed majority. As a result, they are over-represented in [[baseball]], [[tennis]], [[fencing]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Harris |first1=Lauren Julius |title=In fencing, what gives left-handers the edge? Views from the present and the distant past |journal=Laterality |date=January 2010 |volume=15 |issue=1–2 |pages=15–55 |doi=10.1080/13576500701650430 |pmid=20391153 }}</ref> [[cricket]], [[boxing]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Richardson |first1=Thomas |last2=Gilman |first2=R. Tucker |date=28 October 2019 |title=Left-handedness is associated with greater fighting success in humans |journal=[[Scientific Reports]] |publisher=[[Nature Portfolio]] |volume=9 |issue=1 |page=15402 |bibcode=2019NatSR...915402R |doi=10.1038/s41598-019-51975-3 |pmid=31659217 |pmc=6817864 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Jack |date=25 February 2019 |title=Left-handed boxers win more fights, research shows |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/25/sport/boxing-left-hand-scli-intl/index.html |access-date=6 December 2022}}</ref> and [[mixed martial arts]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-02-25|title=Why are left-handed people better fighters?|url=https://www.itv.com/news/2019-02-25/why-are-left-handed-people-better-fighters|access-date=2021-03-01|website=ITV News|language=en}}</ref>