In praise of ambidexterity : how a continuum of handedness predicts social adjustment

This paper estimates the relationship between handedness and social
adjustment. In addition to binary measures of hand preference, we also use
a continuous measure of hand skill. Outcomes at ages 7, 11 and 16 are
studied. Using a semi-parametric estimator it is shown that non-righthandedness
(as hand-preference) is associated with poorer social
adjustment but this effect disappears as the individuals age. The
continuous measure of hand skill has a non-monotonic effect on social
adjustment with poorer social adjustment at the extreme values of the
continuum. Poorer social adjustment in childhood has been shown to
predict poorer socio-economic outcomes later in life.