Brainwaves Books
A Test: What’s Your Dominant Foot, Eye, and Ear?

abstract faceHandedness is only one way in which humans can be asymmetrically “sided.” For almost all people, one foot, eye, and ear is dominant as well. Overall, nine of ten people are right-handed; eight of ten are right-footed; seven of ten are right-eyed; and six of ten are right-eared. Women tend to be more right-sided than men in all respects except “eyedness.” Determine your dominant foot, eye, and ear by answering these questions:

(1) Which foot do you kick a ball with?
(2) Try picking up a pen with your toes. Which foot do you use?
(3) If you’re starting up a staircase, which foot goes first?

(1) Select a spot on a wall at least ten feet away. Quickly lift a hand and point to the spot. Then close each eye in turn and see which eye lines up with the finger and the spot. (If you’re right-eyed, your finger will be pointing directly at the spot when your left eye is closed.)
(2) Which eye would you use to peep through a keyhole?
(3) Which eye to look down into a dark bottle to see the liquid?

(1) If you wanted to eavesdrop on a conversation in the next room, which ear would you press against the wall?
(2) In a noisy, crowded place, which side of your head would you turn toward a companion to hear her better?
(3) If you want to hear the “ocean” sound in a seashell, which ear would you hold the shell to?

If your results are mixed, that’s typical. Fewer people are strongly right-footed, right-eyed, and right-eared than strongly right-handed; less than half of all people are consistently one-sided (either left or right) in everything.