Key facts
- New research indicates humans have a natural tendency to walk in an anticlockwise direction.
- This bias was observed consistently across various experiments with individuals and crowds.
- The phenomenon was noted in different cultural settings, including Japan.
- Scientists are investigating biomechanical and sensory factors but have not yet identified the exact cause.
- The findings could inform crowd simulations and the design of public spaces.
New research suggests that humans possess a subtle but consistent bias to turn left and walk in an anticlockwise direction when navigating spaces. Scientists at the University of Navarra in Spain, led by Dr. Iñaki Echeverría Huarte, observed this phenomenon serendipitously during pandemic-related experiments on safe distancing.
Reviewing video footage of people moving in various environments, including museums, supermarkets, and empty rooms, the researchers consistently noted a drift towards counterclockwise movement. Further experiments conducted with individual pedestrians and small crowds confirmed this tendency. The findings held true even when researchers accounted for factors like right-handedness, right-footedness, and right-eye dominance, and were observed in both men and women, with a more pronounced bias noted in children. Dr. Claudio Feliciani from the University of Tokyo collaborated to confirm the results in Japan.