science
Study finds practice improves writing skill equally in dominant and nondominant elbows
Researchers tested writing ability with a pen taped to the elbow and found that practice produced similar gains on both sides. The results indicate that superior performance by the dominant hand stems from repeated use rather than an innate brain advantage.
Jul 13, 11:00 AM·1m read1 source
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A study published June 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined whether the dominant hand's better motor skills result from an innate brain advantage or from practice. Researchers asked 11 participants to write the letter A and the number 8 with both their dominant and nondominant hands. Dominant hands produced clearer figures, as expected.
The same participants then wrote the figures using a pen taped to an elbow. Neither the dominant nor nondominant elbow performed well initially. A separate group of 12 participants practiced writing with the elbow-mounted pen for several hours.
Writing quality improved to a similar degree for both dominant and nondominant elbows. The findings support the conclusion that handedness dominance reflects a practice effect rather than an inborn difference in motor control. Most participants were right-handed.
Researchers noted that future work could examine left-handed individuals and different types of movements to understand what supports faster learning, particularly during recovery after stroke.
