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The Left-Handers Club Survey Results
Left-Handedness and career choices
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We started this survey on Left-Handers Day 2002 to
find out whether there is a link between being left-handed and the choices people
make in work and other activities. We wanted to answer questions like:
- Are there some jobs where left-handers have advantages
or disadvantages?
- Are there some jobs where there are more or less
left-handers than average?
- Do people think there is a direct link between these
two?
You can see and complete the survey yourself at
www.left-handersday.com/life_survey.html
We have received over 2,300 completed surveys and
these results are based on an analysis of those responses.
Our thanks to all of you who have completed the
survey so far.
If you would like to make any contribution to the
analysis or follow-up work from the survey, please see the section at the end
of this page.
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Statistical
validity?
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We have tried hard to produce a survey that gives
useful information, to check the data carefully and analyse it in a professional
way. By its nature, the survey cannot be fully "scientific", because
we cannot control the sample of people who complete it and the information given
is based on personal opinions. We have, however, collected the considered views
of a lot of people and we think they give valid information and lead to conclusions
that could guide more targeted and scientific work in future.
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Who
took part in the survey?
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As we expected, the vast majority of people who completed
the survey are left-handed themselves.
The stated handedness
the survey respondents was: |
Left-handed
Right-handed
Ambidextrous
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91%
3%
6%
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40% of our survey respondents were male and 60% female
(which is in line with previous surveys we have conducted on other left-handed
subjects). It is generally thought that there are slightly more male left-handers
than female in total so does this just reflect the fact that males are less likely
to fill in surveys?
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Are there advantages to being left-handed
in some groups?
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We asked whether people thought there were advantages
or disadvantages to being left-handed in their group or whether it was the same
for left and right-handers.
Same for left and right-handers |
53%
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Left-handers have advantages
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16%
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Left-handers have disadvantages |
31%
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Nearly a third thought that left-handers were at
some disadvantage in their groups.
Bearing in mind that 91% of the people were left-handed
themselves, right-handers may just put this down to general minority group moaning!
However, left-handers are generally a very adaptable lot and used to putting up
with inconveniences, usually without moaning. Also, we asked WHY they were at
a disadvantage and got some very interesting comments (see below). The disadvantages
relate mainly to practical issues like equipment and workplace layouts that are
difficult for left-handers to use.
If we asked a group of right-handers the same question,
what would they say? Our guess is that nearly 100% would say that there was no
difference. However, of the small number of right-handers
who have actually completed our survey, 30% thought there were disadvantages for
left-handers. From looking more closely at their surveys, this is explained by
the fact that they have left-handers in their family and can see the problems
for themselves. Also, to come to our left-handed website and complete the left-handed
survey, they clearly have a higher than average interest in left-handedness!
It is also interesting that 16% of all the people
thought they actually had an ADVANTAGE from being left-handed. Closer analysis
(see below) shows that these advantages are generally thought to arise from the
creative / artistic / intelligent / right side of the brain which is dominant
in left-handers. They are also related to a fairly narrow range of jobs and professions.
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Are there more or less left-handers than
average in some groups? |
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We asked people whether they thought there were more
or less than the average 10% of left-handers in their groups. Where possible,
we asked them to give us the total numbers of people in the group and the number
of left-handers and provided a form for people to complete to verify the information.
As most people completing the survey were left-handed
themselves, and we DO tend to notice other left-handers around us, our feeling
is that people's assessment of the numbers should be fairly reliable. Following
on from the initial conclusions of this survey, we hope to encourage a closer
and more formal look at the numbers in some of the exceptional groups.
Average number of left-handers in the
group |
26%
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More than average
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34%
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Less than average |
39%
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If left-handedness DOES NOT affect career and other
group choices, we would expect to have most people saying that there were an average
number of left-handers in their group. As only 26% said that, the implication
is that there IS some link between handedness and life choices.
If that is the case, and as most of the people in
the survey are left-handed themselves, we would expect them to have chosen groups
where left-handedness is an advantage and therefore mainly say that there were
MORE left-handers than average in their own group.
Indeed, 34% DID say that, but surprisingly 39% said
they were in groups with LESS than the average number of left-handers.
Maybe this is not as simple as we thought!
To get to the bottom of this, we have to look more
closely at the data to see if there is a match between groups where people think
there are advantages or disadvantages to being left-handed and whether those same
groups have more or less than average numbers of left-handers.
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Do left-handers choose groups where they have
an advantage? |
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We analysed the data to cross-match people's views
on whether there were advantages with whether there were more left-handers in
their group.
The chart below shows the data, with the height of
the bars representing the number of people for each cross-match.
The blue bar labelled "Bar 1" shows that
a large proportion of people who thought there were ADVANTAGES for left-handers
in their group also thought there were MORE left-handers than average in their
group.
Conversely, the red bar labelled "Bar 2"
shows that a large proportion of people who thought there were DISADVANTAGES for
left-handers in their group also thought there were LESS left-handers than average
in their group

This seems to support the idea that there is some
direct link between handedness and job choice
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How
does this apply to specific groups?
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We summarised all of the hundreds of individual job
and other group titles you gave us into some broad areas to get an overview of
the answers you gave us. The table below shows those broad groups and whether
they were picked out as having advantages / disadvantages and more / less left-handers.
Where there is a correlation such as advantages for
left-hander AND there actually being more left-handers than average, the "match"
column show "yes".
Group |
Adv
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Dis
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More
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Less
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Match
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Administration |
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X
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X
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Yes
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Business |
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X
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Finance |
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Management |
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Professional |
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Government |
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Services (forces, police etc.) |
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Sales |
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X
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Information Technology |
X
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X
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Yes
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Technical services |
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X
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Media |
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X
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Arts |
X
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X
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Yes
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Music |
X
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X
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Yes
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Sport |
X
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X
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Yes
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Trades |
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Manual |
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X
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X
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Yes
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Health |
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X
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Education |
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X
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Mother / housewife |
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X
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Students |
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X
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X
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Yes
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We can draw some interesting (and some worrying!)
conclusions from this summary:
- There seem to be some clear matches between perceived
advantages and career choice in some fields. These are generally those we would
expect, where right-brain dominance gives and advantage and people have a free
choice of the career, for example in arts, music, sport and, not quite so obviously,
information technology.
- In some areas that are generally accepted to have
more left-handers, such as the media, our survey confirms the expectation in terms
of numbers, but the people do not see themselves as having any particular advantage
in that area.
- In administrative and manual jobs, people see disadvantages
and there are indeed less left-handers as well. Are they deliberately avoiding
awkward work setups, tools, machinery etc.?
- There are some worrying groups, such as health,
education and housewives, where people see clear disadvantages and difficulties
but have to put up with them to continue with their chosen vocation.
- The biggest worry is the match in the students group
between perceived disadvantages and actual lower numbers. 45% of our student respondents
thought there were disadvantages for left-handers and 50% thought there were less
left-handed students than the population average. Are students actually giving
up their studies because of the difficulties they face as left-handers?
We can get some more insight into these conclusions
by looking at the detailed comments that people made about WHY they thought there
were advantages or disadvantages in their groups
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Detailed
comments on advantages and disadvantages?
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These are some of the many comments that were made.
Where comments are common across a number of groups, they have only been shown
once.
Group |
Advantages
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Disadvantages
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Administration |
- Can write and use computer mouse (on right) at the
same time
- QWERTY keyboard was originally designed to slow
down right-handed typists - faster for left-handers
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Business |
- Different outlook on life
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- Paperwork favours righties
- Press button security locks
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Sales |
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- Cash registers are designed for RH use
- Card swipe positions
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Information Technology |
- Better at design, structures, analysis
- Visualisation in 3 dimensions
- More flexible as have had to adapt
- Approaching problems from different perspective
- Determined, methodical
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- Computer equipment
- Using screwdriver in network cabinets
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Technical services |
- Converting 2D images on blueprints to 3D images
in the mind
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- Lab equipment all RH
- RH tools, callipers, micrometers
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Media |
- Visual thinking
- Ability with words, expressing self
- Generating ideas
- Composition of stories
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- Desk designs
- Cameras are for right eye
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Arts |
- More creative
- More artistic, learn faster
- More open and free thinking
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- Smudging work
- Equipment, e.g. tripods
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Music |
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- Cost of equipment and range available
- Tuition books written for RH
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Sport |
- Different angles
- RH not used to playing a lefty
- Better spatial thinking ability
- Can react faster
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- Obtaining equipment
- Coaching by right-handers
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Manual |
- Bricklaying - can work from opposite direction to
RH
- Can screw and hammer in awkward corners
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- Most tools are for RH
- Start/stop buttons on machinery and power tools
- Factory equipment made for RH
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Health |
- Abstract problem solving ability
- More intuitive
- Lots of left-handed neuropsychologists
- More adaptive
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- Clinic and examination rooms set up for RH, e.g.
light positions
- Operating theatre set up is RH
- Documentation difficult to write in
- Phone handsets on left, have to be transferred to
right hand to take notes
- Writing in registers and counterfoil books
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Education |
- Writing on board, not standing in front of what
has been written already
- Creativity and imagination
- Comprehend problems better and faster
- Lateral thinking, creative ways of teaching
- Can teach left-handed children better
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- Problems with scissors, rulers
- Guillotine
- Projectors, screens
- Filing back-to-front
- Teaching RH children letter formations difficult
- White boards difficult
- Writing with chalk on a blackboard is hard as you
have to push the chalk across and it does not write smoothly
- Need to move equipment when changing classrooms
- Copying machines designed for RH
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Mother / housewife |
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- Everything made with RH in mind
- Tin openers, washing powder boxes, scissors, kettle,
dog poop-scoop, knives, electrical appliances, irons,
- You have to re-program your brain to work with all
the RH items
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Students |
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- Things don't work properly
- Desks built for RH
- Writing more difficult, smudging
- Design workshop tools
- Some teachers think left-handers are lazy
- Bunsen burner
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General
comments and fun
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A lot of people added a general comment to their
survey and we thought you would find them interesting / fun...
- Until I went to your left-handed shop and read your
newsletters, I did not realise how disadvantaged I was. I have just grown up with
it and learnt to accommodate. I even felt guilty when I was told I was clumsy
e.g Putting the arms on record players!
- This is awesome! I've often noticed that my organisation
has a large percentage of left-handers and I always wondered if there was a correlation.
- All the left handed people I know do seem to have
a more creative streak in them than the right handers
- We will arise and crush those of the right handed
persuasion. Our time is soon.
- I think it's cool to be different. I like to tell
people I'm left handed.
- When I left school I toyed with being a dental nurse,
but had to flag it away as every thing was set up for right handers.
- Pens on strings to sign credit cards etc. Only on
Right hand side. Short strings. Grrrr!
- I hate living in a right-handers world!
- Usually in my math classes, if we have lefties they
are very bright, that including myself :)
- Journalism has, in my experience, a hugely disproportionate
number of left-handers than the percentage of the population as a whole.
- Lefties rock!
- I LOVE being left-handed, yet those darn school
desks make my life hell...
- On August 13th, we rise up
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Conclusions
so far
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- There is clearly a lot of interest in this survey
and we will carry on collecting data and analysing results.
- There DOES seem to be a link between left-handedness
and the career choices people make.
- Nearly a third of left-handers think they are at
a disadvantages in their work and have comments to make about it!
- 16% of left-handers thought they actually had an
advantage in their work, although this only seems to be in a limited range of
jobs such as the media and arts.
- Some areas of work are more affected than others
and further work is needed to study certain jobs more closely.
- Left-handers DO seem to be adaptable and to put
up with inconveniences and disadvantages in the workplace, but should they really
have to?
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What
happens next?
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We want a lot more people to complete the survey
so we can extend our analysis and target areas for further work.
We will be doing media releases on the survey analysis
so far so you may see features on it in your local media. We hope that you and
they will encourage more people to do the survey and tell others about it.
We will be trying to raise interest from government
and education sources to investigate some of our findings more scientifically.
We will also be trying to find teaching establishments
and students who would like to pick up on the work we are doing and develop sections
of it more thoroughly.
Thanks again to everyone
who
has helped us with this so far
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Don't forget |
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Anything left-handed have sponsored the survey so
far and will continue to support it. They have the world's greatest range of left-handed
products to make life a bit easier and remove some of the disadvantages people
have picked up in our survey.
You can see their site at www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk
They also produce regular newsletters which will
include the results of our survey and details of our ongoing work related to it.
Register
for FREE membership of the Left-Handers
Club
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Print and Download |
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To print / download this Survey results in pdf format
(233Kb) please click
here.*
*(To view and be
able to print the file you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have it
on your computer click
here for free download)
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