Socio-economic status and handedness in two large cohorts of French adults - Archive ouverte HAL
Article Dans Une Revue British Journal of Psychology Année : 2008

Socio-economic status and handedness in two large cohorts of French adults

Résumé

Left-and right-handers have coexisted since the Palaeolithic age. Hand preference is heritable. Moreover, there is extensive evidence of an association between left-handedness and several fitness costs. In this context, the persistence of the polymorphism is interesting. Here, we explore the associations between socio-economic status and handedness, analysing data from two large cohorts of adult men and women. Such associations are relevant to an evolutionary approach, as the socio-economic and the reproductive value are related. Our results partly support the hypothesis that left-handers have a socio-economic status advantage, countervailing the health issues. Although the models explain a small proportion of the variance observed, the frequency of left-handedness is significantly higher: (1) among women of higher educational level; (2) among categories of higher income; and (3) among individuals who have a higher position in the company. The importance of these findings for the evolution of the polymorphism of handedness is discussed.

Dates et versions

hal-04026926 , version 1 (13-03-2023)

Identifiants

Citer

Charlotte Faurie, Sébastien Bonenfant, Marcel Goldberg, Serge Hercberg, Marie Zins, et al.. Socio-economic status and handedness in two large cohorts of French adults. British Journal of Psychology, 2008, 99 (4), pp.533-554. ⟨10.1348/000712608X291563⟩. ⟨hal-04026926⟩
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