h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The thread about left-handedness is growing, and I am working on an article about the trials and tribulations of being labelled sinister.
However, I came across this test to see how left-handed you really are, so I thought I would share it with you. The idea is to tick on the left if you prefer doing the operation with your left hand, right if right, and none if no preference. Add up the scores for each and see how you fare. (ref: Oldfield, Br. J. Psych. Feb 1969 - if you need to know).

Writing
Drawing
Throwing
Scissors
Razor
Comb
Toothbrush
Knife (without fork)
Spoon
Hammer
Screwdriver
Tennis racket
Fishing rod
Knife with fork
Cricket bat (lower hand)
Golf club (lower hand)
Broom (upper hand)
Rake (upper hand)
Striking match (match)
Opening box (lid)
Dealing cards (cards being dealt)
Threading needle (needle or thread, whatever is being moved)
Kicking
Using one eye (could include winking, I think)

I score 21 left to 3 right, which is pretty left-handed. I CAN do some of the things right-handed though, which I suspect a dextral could not do with the left hand.
The debate will continue.



 
 

Interesting... I got 12 right-handed, 5 left-handed, 2 no preference, and I don't play tennis, golf, cricket or go fishing... so I'm just right-handed enough to make fun of the lefties. I'm just kidding.

I got all left-handed, except for some of the sports which i don't play, which were no answer. The only thing i can think of that i use my right hand for is using my mouse. That makes me pretty left-handed, right?

Right, kat - I use the mouse with my right hand too, cos I can then write notes with my left. I reckon that we could add that to the list as a modern example.

I'm 19 left to 5 right, though with the cricket one, I used to bat right handed, but bowl left handed. Though if you imagine your cricket bat being a tennis racket, then it's playing a two-handed left-handed backhand.

Hmmm I got 2 left (writing & drawing) & all the rest right. Though if you included 'puter mouse & chopsticks you could increase my count to 4 left. Strange on the chopsticks coz with knife & fork I'm right righthanded tending to ambidextrous.

Strange that I, & most people I meet, consider me to be sinistral.

;^)#

It's probably because you write left-handed, which is more noticeable. How would you class your handedness in terms of what you chose to use and what you were taught to use? (I'm up to date on Peta's forum on this by the way). For instance, I was taught to use a knife and fork the conventional (i.e right-handed) way, also for cricket, golf, archery, playing the clarinet; but given free rein, I tend naturally to the left. I would be interested to know.

At school I was encoruaged (with a ruler across the knuckles) to use mu right hand for wrtiing - at home they didnt care which I used, especially when it came to knife & fork. Everything else was purely by preference.

Hmmmm, new theory developing, maybe writing with the left hand was an early example of budding "bloody minded" Bruce.

;^)#

Ok, I realise I'm late on this one, but I just found it, so its new to me.

I nailed every one as left, except the knife with fork bit (probably to avoid the dueling elbows)
Points to mention
- I also use a mouse to the right of the keyboard
- substituted "Baseball Bat" for cricket bat (seeing as I'm North American)
- while I use scissors in my left hand... I can't use left handed scissors. I instead use right-handed scissors and compensate for the cutting angle. This I assume is because of the relatively poor quality of any left-handed scissors I managed to find in primary school.

Ok, I realise I'm late on this one, but I just found it, so its new to me.

I nailed every one as left, except the knife with fork bit (probably to avoid the dueling elbows)
Points to mention
- I also use a mouse to the right of the keyboard
- substituted "Baseball Bat" for cricket bat (seeing as I'm North American)
- while I use scissors in my left hand... I can't use left handed scissors. I instead use right-handed scissors and compensate for the cutting angle. This I assume is because of the relatively poor quality of any left-handed scissors I managed to find in primary school.

Hi, nice to see you
Interesting point about the baseball bat - I would use one with my left hand nearest the end, as I do with a cricket bat, but that means I play cricket right-handed. How do left-handed baseball players hold the bat? Cultural differences can be crucial.
I also use the mouse with my right hand, so I can write with my left, but most dextrals also use their right hand (and the software is set up that way, meaning you have to 'opt out' to change it), so I am not sure if this is a reliable indicator of left-handedness, given the inherent laziness of most people to changing defaults on software.
Any thoughts?

Lefties hit a baseball with their Left hand furthest away from the end, facing third base (right side towards the pitcher). Which becomes a little aukward(sp?) as you must then turn to run to first base, as opposed to just running "straight". It does however have certain advantages, as the "strike zone" shifts over to the other side of home plate, and generally muddles the pitcher some. I've also found that I catch and throw better with my left hand, which wouldn't be a problem in cricket, but realy buggers you in baseball.

With the mouse, I've seen several right handed people move the mouse to the right side. They simply use their middle finger to "left click" and their index to "right click" (assuming a two button mouse).