Are spatial abilities poorer in “forced” left‐handers? If so, why?

Abstract

Ardila, Correa, Zuluaga, and Uribe (1988) reported that left‐handed adults who have been forced to write with the right hand but are left‐handed for other “specialized motor activities” did significantly worse on a mental‐rotation spatial test than either control left‐handers (left‐handed for writing as well as for the other motor activities) or right‐handers. This article raises some questions about these findings, discusses some of the implications, and proposes lines for further research.