A Study of Causes of Left-Hand Writing Preferences of Some Right-Handed Children
- Author:
Norma V. Scheidemann
University College, University of Southern California AND Hazel Colyer Los Angeles City Schools
Many statistical studies have been made in regard to native handedness and hand preferences, but no study has presented case studies throwing light on the causes for preferring to use the nondominant hand for writing. An analysis of a number of individual cases would, indeed, furnish much information that cannot be obtained from statistical investigations, and would be most valuable in interpreting statistical findings. The writers here present case studies of seven out of twelve right-handed second grade children who were using their left hands for writing. Previous articles 1 indicate that both the first and the second grade teachers of these children were left-handed. In approaching the study it was thought that the first grade teacher’s (writing habits are established in the first grade) left-handedness was directly responsible for the children’s unnatural hand preference. This inference proved to be wrong, in at least some cases. Case studies of these seven children follow:
1. Erwin. Erwin has no adult left-handed relatives. There are five children in the immediate family, all right-handed, except one girl who is next older than Erwin and whom Erwin has always idealized. Erwin used his right hand at all times except in writing and drawing. The mother thought that this might be due to i Scheidemann, Norma V., “A Study of the Handedness of Some LeftHanded Writers,” The Pedagogical Seminary and Journal of Genetic Psychology, Vol. 37, pp. 510-516. (December 1930.) Scheidemann, Norma V., and Colyer, Hazel, “A Study in Reversing the Handedness of Some Left-Handed Writers,” The Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 22, pp. 191-196. (March 1931.) the fact that over a period of years Erwin and his sister played school a great deal. The sister always was the teacher. Quite probably Erwin, directed 01* undirected, imitated his sister’s handedness. Erwin is a calm, well-poised child and transferred to right hand writing very easily.
2. Shirley. Shirley’s mother is left-handed and, as a child, had extremely unhappy experiences because of it. The drastic methods used to “break” her left-liandedness “affected her nerves so seriously that she had to be taken out of school for a time.” The mother may be characterized as being neurotic at present. She insists that Shirley is left-handed because in all other ways Shirley is so much like her (the mother).
Shirley is an onty child, very much spoiled, very nervous, and immature. She is definitely right-handed, but the mother would not permit the child to change to right-hand writing. 3. Marvin. There are 110 left-handed relatives in Marvin’s family. Marvin’s mother did not know that he was using his left hand for writing, and could see 110 reason for his doing so. In conference with his teacher, Marvin said, “When we first came into your room you said you had never seen so many lefthanded people in one room before?that it looked like an epidemic of left hands. So I said to myself, ‘I guess I’ll be left-handed too, just for fun, and make one more.’ That is why I have been using it.’’ He added that it wasn’t so easy and he didn’t do it all the time, only when his teacher was watching. It was a relief for him to transfer to his right hand.
The teacher remembered having made the statement about the epidemic of left hands, but never dreamed that such a casual statement would influence a child. 4. Vera. There are no left-handed relatives. The mother did not know that the child was using her left hand for writing at school.
In conference with her teacher Vera said, “The reason I use my left hand is that a little friend of mine broke her arm last term and wasn’t able to write at all for she couldn’t use her left hand. She felt so bad about it that I just made up my mind that I wouldn’t be caught like that so I started using my left hand, too.” A transference was effected quickly and easily.
5. Richard. There are no left-handed relatives. Richard is a neurotic child. He showed right hand preference for all activi118 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC ties except writing and drawing. When Richard learned to write with his left hand in schoool, his mother paid a visit to his teacher asking that the child be permitted to use his right hand because the child was right-handed in all other activities. The teacher said it was best not to change. At the beginning of Richard’s second year in school, the mother again came to school and asked the second grade teacher to permit her child to use his right hand. The mother felt certain that the child was right-handed. A consultation of teacher, principal, and special supervisor gave the verdict that ‘’left-handed children should be permitted to use their left hands for writing.’’ Despite these decisions the mother was so unconvinced that her child was left-handed that she taught him to write with his right hand at home.
Richard disliked anything that required writing; he seldom finished written work when the other children did. He sat next to a left hand writer and perhaps imitated him. Richard’s writing was scarcely legible and often he made figures backwards, and a letter or two mirror-wise. Richard is neurotic, but his mother is a stable and tactful woman. Even though she was certain that the teachers were wrong, the mother did not forbid them to do what they thought was best.
Richard’s transference to right hand writing was accomplished without any difficulty.
6. Melville. There are no left-handed relatives. Melville’s mother did not know he was using his left hand for writing. Melville showed right hand preference for all other activities. He is an “easy going” child; nothing seems to disturb him. When in conference the second grade teacher asked Melville why he used his left hand, he said it was because his first grade teacher used her left hand. When asked why he did not change to his right hand upon entering the second grade, he said he did not know.
Melville had very little trouble in making the change. 7. Anita. There are no left-handed relatives. Anita is an emotional child, very anxious to receive attention. The mother could not give any explanation for the child’s handedness in writing, because she was certain that the child showed right hand preferences in other activities. In conference with her teacher, Anita said that she had not always used her left hand for writing, but had done so for “quite a while.” She said she used her left hand because she saw so many other children doing so. Anita transferred to right liand writing habits immediately, without any effort. It seemed evident that her left hand habits were not very well established.
A review of these cases shows that almost trivial factors were directly responsible for these children’s unnatural hand preference in writing. An investigation of the five other children in the same grade who were using their left hands for writing, failed to disclose the immediate causes for writing hand preference.
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