Lefties have “advantage” when it comes to gaming

A recent study published in the journal Neuropsychology suggests that left-handed people are faster at processing multiple stimuli than right-handed folks. The research conducted at the Australian National University seems to back up earlier studies showing that left- or right-handedness is determined in the womb and that many lefties process language using both hemispheres of their brains, as opposed to righties, who seem to primarily use the left hemisphere of their brains for processing.

You see, certain tasks like language processing, or mathematical calculations tend to take place in one hemisphere or the other. For most people language happens on the left hemisphere.

The new research adds to the slowly growing body of work supporting the hypothesis that people who favor their left hand for writing probably have brains that are more conducive to simultaneous, bi-hemisphere processing of information.

There were 80 right-handers and 20 left-handers involved in the study. In one test, a computer would show a single dot either to the left or to the right of a dividing line, and the subjects had to press a button to indicate which side the dot showed up on. The left-handed subjects were faster overall at this task.

This means, in simple language, that lefties probably have an advantage when it comes to hand-to-eye coordination. Basically the experts think that lefties get advantages in any activity like sports, gaming and other activities in which players face large volumes of stimuli being thrown at them simultaneously or in quick succession.

No wonder Link rocks.

Of course latter studies also show that righties are faster than lefties at processing stimuli that targets only one hemisphere of the brain, so righties aren’t left out entirely.

Well, here’s where we ask you guys if you’ve felt the difference; have you been recently pwned by a left-handed friend? What about you PC gamers out there? Been a victim of a head-shot from a guy with his mouse on the left side of his keyboard and uses the arrow keys instead of the more traditional WASD?

Via HowStuffWorks

A recent study published in the journal Neuropsychology suggests that left-handed people are faster at processing multiple stimuli than right-handed folks. The research conducted at the Australian National University seems to back up earlier studies showing that left- or right-handedness is determined in the womb and that many lefties process language using both hemispheres of their brains, as opposed to righties, who seem to primarily use the left hemisphere of their brains for processing.

You see, certain tasks like language processing, or mathematical calculations tend to take place in one hemisphere or the other. For most people language happens on the left hemisphere.

The new research adds to the slowly growing body of work supporting the hypothesis that people who favor their left hand for writing probably have brains that are more conducive to simultaneous, bi-hemisphere processing of information.

There were 80 right-handers and 20 left-handers involved in the study. In one test, a computer would show a single dot either to the left or to the right of a dividing line, and the subjects had to press a button to indicate which side the dot showed up on. The left-handed subjects were faster overall at this task.

This means, in simple language, that lefties probably have an advantage when it comes to hand-to-eye coordination. Basically the experts think that lefties get advantages in any activity like sports, gaming and other activities in which players face large volumes of stimuli being thrown at them simultaneously or in quick succession.

No wonder Link rocks.

Of course latter studies also show that righties are faster than lefties at processing stimuli that targets only one hemisphere of the brain, so righties aren’t left out entirely.

Well, here’s where we ask you guys if you’ve felt the difference; have you been recently pwned by a left-handed friend? What about you PC gamers out there? Been a victim of a head-shot from a guy with his mouse on the left side of his keyboard and uses the arrow keys instead of the more traditional WASD?

Via HowStuffWorks