title: An international study of human handedness: the data.
abstract: Human handedness has been the subject of systematic study since 1646, but there is no agreement among researchers as to who can be considered a left-hander, what is the etiology of left-handedness, or what the proportion of left-handedness is in the world's population. This article reports the results of a handedness survey administered to 12,000 subjects in 17 countries, the largest handedness survey attempted. The paper discusses methods for determining handedness, the probability of a genetic component for handedness, and the relationship of sex, birth order, multiple birth, and first-degree relative's handedness on subject's handedness. A hypothesis for the etiology of left-handedness is presented.
authors.affiliation: Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, New York 10522.
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Perelle
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ehrman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D014427:Twins / Q000235:genetics