The change suggests a wider cultural acceptance of the “sinister” hand preference, and offers representation for lefty fans of the beloved animated films.

The findings, “Princess hands: Handedness of protagonists versus antagonists in Disney’s ‘Princess’ animated movies,” were recently published in the academic journal .

Main findings

• Before about 1992, princesses were more right-handed than villains. Over time, princesses got more left-handed, while villains’ handedness stayed the same.
• In general, the characters were less strongly handed than in real life — most would be considered ambidextrous by the researchers’ definitions.
• Tiana (“The Princess and the Frog”) and Belle (“Beauty and the Beast”), both princesses, are the most left-handed; Villains Jafar (“Aladdin”), Dr. Facilier (“The Princess and the Frog”) and Namaari (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) were also left-handed.
• Mor’Du (“Brave”) and Maleficent (“Sleeping Beauty”) — both villains — were identified strongly right-handed.

More about the study

The research team, which included two undergraduate students at Montclair, examined hand use of princesses and villains in 13 official Disney Princess movies. They counted how many times each princess or villain performed various activities with one hand or the other, using three different handedness questionnaires including the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI).

“Our goal was to see if villains were more left-handed than princesses because culturally, evil is associated with the left-handed, and whether any left-evil associations had changed over time, given changes in culture,” says Ruth Propper, lead researcher and professor of Psychology.

Each Disney princess and villain was assigned a handedness score (-100 being perfectly lefty and +100 perfectly righty) and the results show that over time, princesses have become less right-handed, especially after about 1992, while villains have remained stable in their handedness.

Overall, the characters were much less right-handed than the human population.

What the researchers say

Prior to 1992, Propper explains, princesses were more right-handed than villains, while after 1992 princesses became more left-handed than villains.

So, what changed?

“We suspect that there are many factors at play here.” Propper says. “One possibility is that around the early 1990s the ‘Nine Old Men,’ the animators responsible for most Disney movies from the 1930s to the 1990s, retired.

“It’s possible that the new animators who were hired had less bias against left-handedness, as cultural views about lefties had changed. Certainly there are likely pragmatic reasons as well, and we don’t know the actual handedness of the animators, which could also have been a factor.”

Why it matters

The research and methodology were inspired by existing research Propper encountered analyzing early 1900s documentary footage to estimate rates of left-handedness at that time. Propper and her research team took the innovative approach a step further, utilizing Disney princess films that offer clear distinctions between protagonists and antagonists and allow for meaningful comparisons across character types.

Additionally, “because the characters are animated, handedness is a deliberate choice made by animators, which may reflect cultural assumptions or biases, rather than simply the natural handedness of an actor,” Propper says. Since the Disney princess films span roughly 80 years, this also gave researchers an opportunity to examine potential cultural shifts over time.

Propper says this study demonstrates that research does not always need to be complex or highly technical. And, it speaks to representation.

“Left-handed individuals have often been described as lacking a clear cultural identity and may feel overlooked or negatively stereotyped,” says Propper. “Seeing left-handed traits reflected in familiar and beloved figures, such as Disney princesses, can contribute to a sense of inclusion and reduce feelings of isolation.”

The findings also suggest a societal shift over the last 80 years: left-handedness appears to be more accepted today than in the past, and is no longer associated with the same negative or stigmatized beliefs as it once was.

“These films are culturally iconic, widely recognized, and meaningful to many audiences, which makes them a relevant context for this type of analysis,” Propper says.

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Edited by Lindsay C. Malloy, Rebecca K. Helm, and Tina M. Zottoli
ISBN: 978-1-4338-4245-0; Published February 2026, APA

The Alex Dubé Scholarship Program is named for former dancer, dance advocate, and President of Career Transition For Dancers. Alex J. Dubé, whose deep commitment to the well-being of dancers expanded over the course of his 30-year career. Through the Alex Dubé Scholarship Program, Career Transition For Dancers supports the education of dancers in building their next professional platform to enhance their employability. Five one-time awards of $10,000 are distributed yearly to dancers enrolled in accredited graduate degree programs from the Alex Dubé Scholarship Program Endowment.

There are several eligibility requirements, including a 5 year performing career, 70+ weeks of paid dance employment in the U.S., and a minimum of $40,000 total earnings in a performance career, and a completed application.

Further details are below!

This scholarship actually came about as I was applying to master’s programs in the spring. I received my acceptance letter from MSU just days before the due date for this scholarship application. I am grateful I was able to complete it, as I had to designate my school of choice in order to be eligible for the scholarship. – Jacob Gutierrez

Denise Simão Marques, Ph.D.

Dr. Denise Simão Marques, Assistant Teaching Professor, holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami. Throughout her professional career she has employed cross-cultural approaches to psychological treatment focusing on underserved communities. She has worked clinically with homeless veterans, refugees, individuals with HIV and complex medical comorbidities, as well as with individuals experiencing general mental health concerns. As a scientist-practitioner, she has helped to run various grant-funded community-based research projects. Dr. Simão Marques is committed to fostering a culturally conscientious approach at the intersection of clinical practice and academia. In addition to teaching in our clinical programs, she will be serving as the Assistant Director of Training for the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program.

Mark Rose, Ph.D.

Mark Rose, Assistant Teaching Professor, received a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida. His research interests include use of innovative item types in test development, people analytics, and critical thinking assessment. As a civilian with the U.S. Air Force, he previously held leadership roles focused on Air Force-wide recruitment, selection, and promotion. Before his time in the Air Force, he served as a Research Director for Pearson’s talent assessment team and oversaw the development and revision of widely used assessments such as the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and Raven’s Progressive Matrices. In addition to teaching in our I/O program, Dr. Rose will serve as the Director of the Industrial/Organizational MA Psychology Program.

Ana DiGiovanni, Ph.D.

Ana DiGiovanni, Assistant Professor, holds a PhD in Psychology from Columbia University. Her research lies at the intersection of relationship science and affective science, with a strong emphasis in advanced quantitative methods. Specifically, her research examines the experiences — both good and bad — that we share with those closest to us. Much of this work centers the role stress plays in relational processes, with an emphasis on how people talk about problems and negative feelings. She has expertise with dyadic methods, daily diaries, longitudinal designs, and psychophysiological methods. Dr. DiGiovanni will be a strong addition to our social psychology and quantitative research and course offerings.

Adam P. Natoli, Ph.D.

Adam P. Natoli, Assistant Professor, received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Adelphi University. His program of research investigates how we measure psychological functioning and strives to develop, evaluate, and apply advanced measurement and statistical methodologies to the empirical study of psychological assessment with a focus on instrument psychometrics, multimethod assessment, and applications of Artificial Intelligence in these domains. This work is accompanied by research on the conceptualization and treatment of personality psychopathology and psychodynamic theories and principles. Dr. Natoli predominantly will teach quantitative and research methodology courses in the department.

Tamara B. Jean-Jacques, Psy.D. 

Dr. Tamara B. Jean-Jacques, Assistant Teaching Professor in the School Psychology program at Montclair, is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, and a practicing psychotherapist under supervision. She earned her doctorate in School Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and holds multiple advanced degrees in psychology and educational psychology. Dr. Jean-Jacques has served as a certified school psychologist, supervisor, and special education administrator, leading special services departments in diverse urban and suburban school districts, supervising multidisciplinary teams, and developing specialized curricula. In her role at Montclair, Dr. Jean-Jacques will prepare future school psychologists through hands-on clinical training, assessment, and supervision.

Elizabeth Chan, Ph.D. 

Elizabeth Chan, Assistant Professor, earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Florida State University and completed her doctoral internship at Johns Hopkins Medicine/Kennedy Krieger Institute. Her research utilizes strength-based approaches to enhance the quality of life for individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) across the lifespan. Dr. Chan’s current work focuses on supporting emerging adults with ADHD, particularly in achieving educational success and transitioning into the workforce. She teaches courses in introductory psychology and clinical interventions.

The competition, made possible thanks to a grant by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, encourages students to develop innovative and impactful policy briefs that address the multifaceted challenges of climate change, particularly in the context of social justice. This year’s theme, “Climate Justice: Policies for a Sustainable and Equitable Future,” invited talented contributions from students across various disciplines. The submissions were evaluated by a panel of experts based on originality, research quality, and practical policy recommendations.

Michael House’s winning policy brief stood out for its thorough analysis and forward-thinking solutions aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities. His work, “Promoting Health Equity through Climate Justice for Vulnerable Populations” not only underscored the urgency of addressing climate justice but also provided actionable steps for policymakers to ensure equitable and sustainable outcomes. The judges were particularly impressed by Michael’s ability to integrate scientific research with social policy, demonstrating a deep understanding of the complexities involved in climate justice issues.

Dr. Timothy Gorman and Dr. Arnaud Kurze, Co-Coordinators of RIGS, praised Michael’s achievement, stating, “Michael House has exemplified the kind of innovative thinking and dedication that this competition aims to foster. His policy brief offers a robust framework for addressing climate justice, and we are excited to see how his ideas can influence future policies.”

As the winner, Michael House will receive a monetary prize, along with the opportunity to present his policy brief at an upcoming RIGS seminar, where he will engage with experts and stakeholders in the field of climate justice. This platform will allow Michael to further advocate for the critical changes needed to protect our planet and its most vulnerable populations.

����vlog and RIGS extend their heartfelt congratulations to Michael House and express gratitude to all participants for their contributions to this vital discourse. For more information about the competition and future events, please visit the RIGS website.

This funding mechanism focuses on underrepresented and underserved populations in the autism community because there are great disparities in timely diagnosis and support for racial and ethnic minority groups.

His undergraduate and graduate courses in clinical and community psychology infuse equity and inclusion at every level, from syllabus design to the strategies that allow students to meaningfully and impactfully discuss these issues and their perspectives with each other. Many of these strategies have since been shared in an article on inclusive course design that is Teaching of Psychology’s single most highly cited article in the past three years (Fuentes, Zelaya, & Madsen, 2021). Additionally, Dr. Fuentes has served as the founding advisor for the Multicultural Scholars Program at Montclair State since 2008 and one of the co-leads for the State of New Jersey’s Safe and Inclusive Learning Environment (SILE) Working Group in 2020 to share best practices with educators across the state.

In recognition of his commitment to practicing culturally responsive teaching and mentoring and advocating for inclusive learning environments for all, STP is pleased to present Dr. Milton Fuentes with the 2023 Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award.

This award recognizes diversity as inclusive of perspectives and experiences that are not traditionally highlighted in psychology curricula, in a reflection of broader societal power structures. These perspectives and experiences may derive from minoritized identities that include, but are not limited to: sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, social class, race/ethnicity, religion, and immigration status. The goal of this award is to recognize instructors of psychology who promote social justice, broadly construed, through their teaching via a variety of educational and academic activities.

Dr. Propper passionately believes that stereotypes of what a girl can do or should be do not belong in science, or anywhere. “I think societal expectations, even today in 2023, are at times restrictive, unfair, and confusing for girls and women. Despite the progress we have made, stereotypes about girls, including what is appropriately ‘girly’, and what we should or shouldn’t wear, behaviors that we should or shouldn’t do, and even careers we should or shouldn’t find appropriate, still exist,” she says.

“A girl – just like a boy – can do anything; she can get filthy digging in the dirt to find dinosaur bones, she can catch insects and examine them, or mush goop between her fingers as she puts it under a microscope. When one-half the populations thinks that only certain scientific fields are appropriate for them, then society as a whole is literally losing half its genius and innovation. Ultimately, this book is written for all the girls, and especially for my daughter who, as I say in the acknowledgements, can throw an ax, and hit the target, in a dress and high heels. Because girls can do – and be – anything.”

Propper recently joined BBC Radio London to discuss her book.