Humans prefer to walk anticlockwise, scientists find - but reason is unclear
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- Research from the University of Navarra reveals that people naturally tend to turn left and walk in an anticlockwise direction when moving freely in enclosed spaces, a bias observed across cultures including Japan.
- This left-turn preference persists regardless of handedness, footedness, or eye dominance, is more pronounced in children, and may result from subtle asymmetries in brain and muscle coordination.
- The phenomenon was first noticed during pandemic social distancing experiments and has potential applications in improving crowd management, evacuation simulations, and the design of public spaces like museums and supermarkets.
- Similar left-turn biases have been observed in other species such as rock ants, suggesting a broader biological or biomechanical basis, though the exact mechanism remains unknown.
- Historical context shows that athletes now run anticlockwise around tracks, a practice linked to right-leg dominance and social conventions, which may also influence everyday movement and spatial navigation patterns.