Study Finds Humans Prefer Turning Counterclockwise When Passing Others, Reason Unknown
By
Margherita Bassi
An everything bagel for the brain. Substantive, layered, well-seasoned.
Summary
Researchers studying social distancing behavior in Spain accidentally discovered that humans have a strong tendency to turn counterclockwise when walking past each other. The effect was observed across 2,576 encounters involving 156 teenage participants, transcending factors like culture, gender, and handedness. The researchers found that people turned left (counterclockwise) in about two-thirds of encounters, a statistically significant result. However, they have no clear explanation for why this preference exists, ruling out common theories like right-handedness or driving-side conventions. The study was published in the journal Advanced Science.
Key quotes
· 5 pulled"We were not looking for this at all," said Dr. Echeverría, the lead researcher. "We were studying how people maintain distance in crowded spaces, and we kept noticing this pattern. It was completely unexpected."
"The effect is remarkably consistent," said Dr. Echeverría. "It doesn't matter if you're left-handed or right-handed, male or female, from one culture or another. People turn left."
"We've ruled out the obvious explanations," said Dr. Echeverría. "It's not about handedness. It's not about which side of the road people drive on. It's something deeper."
"This is one of those findings that raises more questions than it answers," said Dr. Echeverría. "We have a robust phenomenon, but we don't understand its origins."
"The fact that we can't explain it is what makes it so fascinating," said Dr. Echeverría. "It suggests there's something fundamental about human behavior that we're missing."
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