Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey: relation between societal tightness scores, left-handedness rates, and COVID-19 outcomes in US states

As the percentage of right-handers increases in a state, the tightness of that state's culture, as measured, also increases. The relations between handedness, tightness, and various COVID measures (cases per 100,000, vaccination rates, hospitalization rates, death rates, and mask wearing adhere...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Laterality (Hove) 2023-11, Vol.28 (4-6), p.285-304
Main Authors: Christman, Stephen D., Prichard, Eric C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adherence
Cognitive flexibility
COVID-19
Death & dying
Handedness
Hospitalization
Immunization
Mortality rates
Public health
vaccine
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Summary:As the percentage of right-handers increases in a state, the tightness of that state's culture, as measured, also increases. The relations between handedness, tightness, and various COVID measures (cases per 100,000, vaccination rates, hospitalization rates, death rates, and mask wearing adherence) were examined. Left-handedness rates and tightness both marginally predicted COVID cases and significantly predicted vaccination rates (more right-handers and more tightness associated with higher COVID rates and lower vaccination rates), only left-handedness rates predicted mask wearing adherence (more left-handers associated with increased adherence), only tightness predicted death rates (more tightness associated with higher death rates), and neither handedness or tightness predicted hospitalizations. Results are discussed in terms of the connection between consistent right-handedness and decreased cognitive flexibility and its implication for sociopolitical outcomes, and implications for the framing of public health messaging are presented.
ISSN:1357-650X
1464-0678
DOI:10.1080/1357650X.2023.2244729