Is there a physical explanation for ambidexterity in the brain, is it learned behaviour?
Furthermore, As an ambidextrous I feel that certain activities have been engrained in my mind with a single hand such as brushing my teeth or writing. I assume it’s just because Ive always done it that way, but is it then normal to have difficulty trying to do it with the opposite hand
In: Biology
It’s learned, in youth the human brain is very flexible in more ways than just learning language. Most people aren’t because they are taught, largely unconsciously, to use one hand over the other. Mom uses right hand to brush, me too. Big brother uses right hand to use screwdriver, me too. As one hand becomes dominant it’s used for more and the motor coordination becomes even stronger, it’s a positive feedback loop. That said most everyone has a dominant hand to some degree, it seems to just be part if the brain’s streamlining.
I can only imagine in ancient and prehistoric times ambidexterity was more common, as making and using tools required proficient use of both hands unlike tools of today that only need one hand to do +90% of the work. Although now that I type it outloud the feature of having a dominant hand may have started becoming more common when homosapien’s ancestors began constructing tools, certainly it would have been advantageous (and efficient) to focus fine motor control into just one hand while the other simply provided strength and positioning assistance while working with raw materials.
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