Human Laterality: Handedness, Footedness and Eyedness
Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 4 Feb 2020 - Updated: 29 Aug 2026
Publication Type: Charts, Graphs, Tables
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content
Synopsis
This information explains human laterality, the natural tendency for individuals to favor one side of the body over the other, with clear definitions of right-handedness, left-handedness, ambidexterity and cross-dominance, supported by relevant statistics and an included handedness test, making it a useful reference for understanding motor preference patterns and how they relate to everyday tasks and design challenges for people with disabilities, seniors, and the broader public.
At a Glance
- 1 - International Left-Handers Day is held every August 13th. It was founded by the Left-Handers Club in 1992, two years after the club itself began.
- 2 - Ocular dominance is the tendency to prefer visual input from one eye, and it does not always match the dominant hand. Roughly 71.1 percent of people favor the right eye, while about 59.1 percent favor the right ear.
- 3 - Cross-dominance means a person favors one hand for some tasks and the other hand for different ones. A cross-dominant individual might write with the right hand yet kick a ball with the left foot.
- 4 - Research on 3,000 newborns found the right ear is better at receiving speech while the left ear is more sensitive to music and song. A Henry Ford Hospital study noted that 70 percent of people hold a phone to the ear on the same side as their dominant hand.
Topic Definition
- Laterality
Laterality is the preference most people show for one side of the body over the other, and it shows up in far more than just which hand signs a name. It covers handedness and footedness, along with eyedness and ear preference, and it can even point to which hemisphere of the brain tends to take the lead. Someone can be strongly right-sided across the board, or they can mix things up, writing with one hand while kicking a ball with the opposite foot. When a person is pushed to use the side they would not naturally choose, that is called forced laterality, and when skill is roughly equal on both sides, it is known as ambidexterity. Understanding these patterns matters for everyday tasks and for designing tools and spaces that work well for everyone.
Overview
If you're left-handed you are in good company; Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and Barack Obama are all left-handed. However, the majority of humans are right-handed. Many are also right-sided in general (they prefer to use their right eye, right foot and right ear if forced to make a choice between the two).
International Left-Handers Day is held annually every August 13th. It was founded by the Left-Handers Club in 1992 - the club itself was founded in 1990. International Left-Handers Day is, according to the club, "an annual event when left-handers everywhere can celebrate their sinistrality (left-handedness) and increase public awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed."
The term laterality refers to the preference most humans show for one side of their body over the other. Examples include left-handedness/right-handedness and left/right-footedness; it may also refer to the primary use of the left or right hemisphere in the brain. When a person is forced to use the hand opposite of the hand that they would naturally use, this is known as forced laterality, or more specifically forced dextrality. Ambidexterity is when a person has approximately equal skill with both hands and/or both sides of the body.
So We Have:
- Right-handedness - The most common.
- Left-handedness - Far less common than right-handedness.
- Ambidexterity - Means a person has no marked preference for the use of the right or left hand. Equal ability to use both hands, is exceptionally rare.
- Cross-dominance or mixed-handedness, hand confusion, or mixed dominance - A motor skill manifestation in which a person favors one hand for some tasks and the other hand for others, or a hand and the contralateral leg. For example, a cross-dominant person might write with the right hand and do everything else with the left one, or manage and kick a ball preferentially with the left leg. It can also refer to mixed laterality, which refers to a person favoring eyes, ears, feet, or hands on one side of the body.
- Footedness - The natural preference of using the left or right foot for various purposes. It is the foot equivalent of handedness.
- Ocular dominance, eye preference or eyedness - The tendency to prefer visual input from one eye to the other. It is somewhat analogous to the laterality of right or left-handedness - however, the side of the dominant eye and the dominant hand do not always match.
- Earedness or Ear Advantage - The condition or tendency to hear with one ear more than the other. Your right ear is better than your left ear at receiving sounds from speech, whereas your left ear is more sensitive to sounds of music and song, according to American researchers behind a study of the hearing in 3,000 newborns. If you are a left-brain thinker, the chances are you use your right hand to hold your phone up to your right ear, according to a study from the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. 70% of people hold their phone to ear on the same side as dominant hand. 95% are left-brain thinkers but there is no greater incidence of brain tumors in right side of brain.
Approximate Statistics For the Above Are:
- Favoring right hand: 88.2%
- Ambidexterity: Very uncommon, about a 1% prevalence
- Cross-dominance: Very uncommon, about a 1% prevalence.
- Favoring right foot: 81.0%
- Favoring right eye: 71.1%
- Favoring right ear: 59.1%
- Same hand and foot: 84%
- Same ear and eye: 61.8%
Handedness Test
Though most people are right-handed or left-handed, there are different "degrees" of handedness. Some people use one hand for jobs that require skill and the other hand for jobs that involve reaching.
There are number of different tests and measurement scales used to assess the dominance of a person's right or left hand in everyday activities, also referred to as laterality. We have included one such handedness test for you to try below:
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For each of the questions below select a point option: Always RIGHT = +2 |
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| Hand Preference: | Always LEFT | Usually LEFT | No PREF | Usually RIGHT | Always RIGHT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing a letter legibly | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| Throwing ball to hit a target | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| Playing game requiring use of a racquet | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| At top of broom when sweeping | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| At top of a shovel when shoveling | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| To hold a match when striking it | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| To hold scissors to cut paper | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| To hold thread to guide through the eye of a needle | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| To deal playing cards | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| To hammer a nail into wood | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| To hold toothbrush while cleaning teeth | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| To unscrew the lid of a jar | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| Determining Your Score | |||||
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For each of the 12 questions, assign point values: Add up your scores for the 12 questions. The maximum score is +24 (extreme right handedness), the minimum score is -24 (extreme left handedness). YOUR TOTAL SCORE =_________ |
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| Interpreting Your Score | |||||
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Scores can be divided into three parts: -24 to -9 = Left handed |
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| Data from the paper of Briggs and Nebes (1975) for college students | |||||
| Left handed | Mixed handed | Right handed | TOTAL | ||
| Males | 74 (8.9%) | 47 (5.7%) | 710 (85.4%) | 831 | |
| Females | 72 (9.4%) | 37 (4.8%) | 659 (85.8%) | 768 | |
| Totals | 146 | 84 | 1369 | 1599 | |
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Testing Other Aspects of Laterality Other aspects of laterality can also be tested quite simply. For example;
This questionnaire was adapted from the handedness questionnaire by Briggs, G.G. and Nebes, R.D., Patterns of hand preference in a student population, Cortex, 11:230-238, 1975) |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What causes a person to be right-handed or left-handed
Handedness is thought to develop from a mix of genetics and early brain development, though researchers have not pinned down a single definitive cause.
Can handedness change over a persons lifetime
Natural hand preference tends to stay stable, but injury, training, or forced use of the other hand can shift which hand someone relies on for certain tasks.
Is being left-handed linked to greater creativity
There are popular claims about left-handed creativity, but the evidence is mixed, and hand preference alone is not a reliable predictor of any single talent.
At what age does handedness usually become clear
A consistent hand preference often emerges in early childhood, commonly between ages two and four, although it can continue to firm up as fine motor skills grow.
Why are so many tools designed for right-handed people
Because most of the population is right-handed, manufacturers often design for the majority, which can make everyday items harder for left-handed users.
What is the difference between ambidexterity and cross-dominance
Ambidexterity means near-equal skill with both hands, while cross-dominance means favoring different sides for different tasks rather than performing equally well.
Does eye dominance affect activities like shooting or photography
Yes, knowing your dominant eye can improve aim in sports and help with framing shots in photography, since one eye typically leads visual alignment.
Can a person be trained to become ambidextrous
People can improve their non-dominant hand with practice, but reaching truly equal ability on both sides is rare and hard to achieve fully.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: Laterality influences how individuals interact with tools, environments and social norms, and insight into dominant side preferences can inform ergonomic design, accessibility planning and individualized support strategies that reduce friction in daily living for diverse populations, including those with sensory or motor challenges; understanding these patterns enhances inclusive practices and deepens awareness of human variation.
Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability, a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.