Left-handed people tend to be left-leaning voters

Political preferences are generally explained by income, age and level of education. However, our research suggests that a far more unexpected trait may also have a hand in how we vote. A survey carried out in 18 western countries has shown that left-handed people tend to identify more strongly with the political left. This findings appear to be more related to identity than biology. Our research shows that a statistical link actually exists between being left-handed and holding left-leaning political views. In a recent study carried out as part of our academic research, we set out to determine whether a characteristic as commonplace as which hand we write with could be linked to political views. To find out, we surveyed 1,404 people across 18 Western countries, including France, Germany, the United States, Italy and Spain. Participants indicated their political stance on a ten-point scale ranging from right to left, as well as which hand they write with. We then compared their answers, taking into account numerous factors such as age, income, gender and level of education. This is not a representative sample of each country: the survey was conducted online, with a high proportion of respondents from the United Kingdom. However, our results remain similar when we exclude the UK from the analysis. We chose to focus on Western countries to prevent the very negative perceptions of left-handedness, which are still prevalent in Asia and Africa, from skewing the responses. What the data shows First finding: people who identify as left-handed politically position themselves significantly further to the left than right-handers. The difference is far from negligible: on average, left-handers are positioned about half a point further to the left on a ten-point political scale. This may seem small, but it is more significant than the effect gender has: in our sample, women are positioned 0.4 points further to the left than men. Our most interesting finding, however, emerges when we measure handedness in a different way. Instead of simply asking people whether they consider themselves left-handed, we observed which hand they actually use for a range of everyday activities: writing, using scissors, brushing their teeth or throwing a ball. And here, the link with political views disappears. This finding is significant because if biology were the primary factor explaining their political stance, we would expect to see an effect when actually measuring the use of the left hand in everyday tasks. Yet this is not the case. In other words, it is not so much the fact of predominantly using one’s left hand that seems to matter, but rather the fact of perceiving oneself as left-handed. This interpretation is reinforced by another finding: the link between being left-handed and political leaning is particularly pronounced in Latin countries such as France, Spain and Italy, where the divide between ‘the Left’ and ‘the Right’ strongly shapes the political debate. The more prominent this symbolic distinction is in public debate, the stronger the effect appears to be. These findings therefore suggest that the observed effect stems more from identity-based and symbolic mechanisms than from profound neurological differences. It remains to be understood why perceiving oneself as left-handed might be associated with more left-leaning political views. Why do left-handers more often describe themselves as left-wing? Political science has long been interested in the social factors that shape voting preferences. However, more recent research suggests we should broaden our perspective: certain individual traits, linked to personality or deeper dispositions, may also help to shape political orientation. Political scientists Gerber et al. (2010) and Mondak (2010) have thus demonstrated the role of personality traits such as openness to experience or extraversion in political behaviour; while the study by Alford, Funk and Hibbing (2005) used data on twins to highlight the biologically heritable component of political ideology. In our case, three mechanisms may help to interpret the results. Can the word ‘left’ shape our political identity? At first glance, the connection may seem purely linguistic: the word “left” refers both to handedness and political ideology. Nevertheless, several hypotheses suggest that such a connection could stem from psychological or biological processes. One such mechanism is implicit egotism: we tend to unconsciously prefer things that resemble us. Studies show that people are more likely to choose professions or places whose names are similar to their own. In the United States, for example, people named “Lawrence” are more likely to become lawyers, while those named “Louis” are more likely to live in St Louis (Missouri). Similarly, consumers are more likely to choose a brand when its name begins with the same letters as their own first name. These mechanisms are largely unconscious: people generally do not realise that these similarities influence their preferences. Following this line of reasoning, the word “left” can create a subtle and subconscious affinity among left-handers in the political sphere. Given that they frequently use the word “left” to describe a fundamental aspect of their identity, they may feel a greater affinity toward political movements associated with the left. From a stigmatised minority to progressive values A second mechanism is based on the social experiences of people belonging to a minority group. Left-handers make up a relatively small proportion of the population (between 10 and 15 per cent) and have historically faced social stigma. Until the 1970s, many left-handed children were still forced to write with their right hand at school, particularly in France. In some cultures, such as in India or the Middle East, eating with the left hand is still frowned upon today. Language itself bears traces of this history. It is no coincidence that the French word “gauche” also refers to someone who is clumsy, and that “sinistra” means both “left” and “sinister” in Italian. Belonging to a minority can, therefore, foster attitudes that place greater value on tolerance and the protection of minorities – values often associated with the political left. Are left-handers’ brains different? A third hypothesis is of a neurobiological nature. A preference for the left or right hand partly reflects the way the brain is wired, which is shaped in very early development. In left-handers, brain functions are, on average, slightly less evenly distributed between the two hemispheres, with greater communication between them. Some researchers link this organisation to greater cognitive flexibility and a greater openness to new ideas, traits often associated with left-wing political sensibilities. However, our findings suggest that this biological explanation should be viewed in a broader context: the effect is observed when people identify as left-handed, not when we simply measure their left-handed gestures during everyday activities. Are our political views really rational? Of course, our study does not imply that all left-handers vote for the left, nor that simply switching hands would be enough to change one’s ideology. The fact that both Fidel Castro and Benjamin Netanyahu were left-handers shows that left-handers cannot be reduced to a homogeneous voting category. However, this research highlights a key point: our political views are probably less rational than we think. They may also be influenced by social experiences and symbolic associations that we are totally unaware of. And this raises a fascinating question: how many other seemingly trivial characteristics silently influence our political preferences? Researchers are beginning to identify some of these, such as the fact that having sisters makes men more conservative. A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!