Ambidexterity

Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well.[1][2] When referring to objects, the term indicates that the object is equally suitable for right-handed and left-handed people. When referring to humans, it indicates that a person has no marked preference for the use of the right or left hand.

Only about one percent of people are naturally ambidextrous, which equates to about 80,000,000 people in the world today.[3] In modern times, it is common to find some people considered ambidextrous who were originally left-handed and who learned to be ambidextrous, either by choice or as a result of training in schools or in jobs where right-handedness is often emphasized or required.[citation needed] Since many everyday devices such as can openers and scissors are asymmetrical and designed for right-handed people, many left-handers learn to use them right-handedly due to the rarity or lack of left-handed models. Thus, left-handed people are more likely to develop motor skills in their non-dominant hand than right-handed people.

  1. ^ "ambidextrous - Definition of ambidextrous in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015.
  2. ^ "Right, Left, Right, Wrong! - What is Handedness?". www.rightleftrightwrong.com.
  3. ^ "Mixed-handed children more likely to have mental health, language and scholastic problems, study finds". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 25 June 2023.