April Fools’ Day arrives this week. April 1 is celebrated internationally as a day of practical jokes and pranks. But what does April Fools’ Day have to do with handedness? In previous posts, I have mentioned myths about left-handers that circulate on left-hander social media sites. One left-hander responded to this topic by commenting that left-handers are too smart to believe myths about their handedness type. It is true…left-handers are certainly not fools. The persistence of these myths rests more on what reporters find interesting when it comes to giving media attention to scientific research. I have found during my interviews with members of the press that many reporters are left-handed or they have a close friend or relative who is left-handed. They are drawn to cover research results about left-handedness regardless of the quality of the science that produced the publication.
A good example of this myth-producing process is found in the fiction that left-handers do not live as long as right-handers. One study published in the early 1990’s captured the attention of the media by presenting apparently dramatic results…the lifespan of left-handers is 9 years shorter than that of right-handers. The authors of this study were quoted in newspaper and magazine articles and they appeared on television talk shows to discuss their findings. It took years of scientific work to reveal the errors inherent in the original paper. It takes a long time and many studies to refute a published paper whose results are based on poor methodology and hasty scientific reasoning. By the time this process runs its course, the press has lost interest. The data negating the incorrect finding never gets the press attention showered on the original flawed study. The imbalance in press coverage between the one bad study and the many good studies guarantees the survival of the handedness/differential mortality myth.
Congratulations to all the savvy left-handers who never believed they were at risk for an early death. Have fun on April Fools’ Day!