Are There Really Right-Brained and Left-Brained People? (2024)
Are you a logical, precise thinker, or would you say that you’re more free-spirited and artistic? If you’re the former, somebody’s probably told you at some point that you’re a left-brained person, and if you’re the latter, right-brained. The notion that the right half of the brain is the creative half and the left half is the analytical half and that our individual traits are determined by which half is dominant is widespread in popular psychology. There’s even a small industry devoted to this idea. There are self-help books, personality tests, therapies, and educational materials that claim to help you optimize the functions of the stronger half of your brain, get in touch with the weaker half, or even make the two halves stop their (supposedly) incessant battling inside your skull so you can finally get some peace and quiet.
The idea that there are right-brained and left-brained people is a myth. Although we all obviously have different personalities and talents, there’s no reason to believe these differences can be explained by the dominance of one half of the brain over the other half. Recent research using brain imaging technology hasn’t found any evidence of right or left dominance. One of the myth’s fatal flaws is that it relies on vague conceptions of the abilities it purports to explain. Math, for example, requires logical thought and, thus, is generally said to reside in the left brain, far away from all those artsy right-brain abilities. But mathematics is a profoundly creative endeavor in addition to being a logical one. So would a gifted mathematician be a right-brained person or a left-brained person? Likewise, artistic creativity isn’t just unbridled emotion. Many of the greatest works of art are products of rigorous, precise thought.
Like many modern myths, the myth of right-brained and left-brained people is rooted in a bit of real science. We know the right and left sides of the brain actually do specialize in different kinds of tasks, although the real division of labor is much more complex than creativity on the right and logic on the left. Much of our knowledge in this area comes from the study of so-called split brain patients. In the 1940s doctors discovered that by surgically severing the corpus callosum (the bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain) seizures could be reduced in patients with otherwise unmanageable epilepsy. (The procedure is seldom performed today because new drugs and treatments have been developed.) After the operation, the patients had normal intellectual and emotional functioning and seemed to have only mild impairments. More thorough examinations, though, revealed specific disruptions in perception and cognition that illuminated how the two halves of the brain differ from each other and how they cooperate. Generally, the right hemisphere of the brain was found to be more proficient at spatial tasks, while the left side of the brain was found to be the center of language and problem-solving.
If there’s no evidence for the myth of right-brained and left-brained people, why do so many people believe it? Perhaps it just makes intuitive sense that people’s brains would be dominant on one side or the other just as their hands, feet, or eyes are. It may also have something to do with our seemingly unlimited appetite for schemes that allow us to sort ourselves (and our friends) into “types” based on our emotional and intellectual characteristics. Most of these (the Myers-Briggs personality test, for example) have about as much scientific validity as horoscopes, but they exploit a psychological phenomenon known as the Barnum Effect (or sometimes the Forer Effect): When people are offered generic descriptive statements that are presented as individualized descriptions of their own personalities, they are predisposed to accept them as meaningful and true, especially if the statements are positive. (The psychologists who studied this phenomenon gave out fake personality tests and found that people generally rated the bogus feedback as accurate.) The right-brain/left-brain myth works in a similar way. The “insights” that it generates are both generic and flattering. After all, who would reject a description of themselves as “spontaneous and intuitive” or “rational and analytical”? The myth is popular, in the end, because it gives us a “scientific” way to talk about our favorite subject—ourselves.
However, over time, the left brain vs.right brain dominance theory has proven to be more fiction than fact. In 2013, a team of neuroscientists reviewed Sperry and Gazzaniga's research, along with new evidence, and debunked several previous findings: The human brain does not favor one side over the other.
Recent research using brain imaging technology hasn't found any evidence of right or left dominance. One of the myth's fatal flaws is that it relies on vague conceptions of the abilities it purports to explain.
Some people say that if you're right-brained, you're more creative, artistic, and intuitive. Each side of the brain is responsible for different functions, but research suggests there are no “left-brained” or “right-brained” people. That said, some people are stronger in right- or left-brain functions.
Their brain test project showed: 41% of earch-dwellers are left-brained, while only 27% are right-brained. In 32% of participants, the two hemispheres exert equal influence on thinking. (Source: Sommer+Sommer, n=35.345.
The “left-brained” type has been described as logical, analytical, and detail-oriented, while “right-brained” people have been characterized as creative and intuitive—though other supposed traits have been attributed to each. (In any case, the "left-brained" and "right-brained" types are not scientifically supported.)
Einstein and Franklin aren't left-brained or right-brained. They're both-brained. And none of their inventions or theories came to light without their own enamored pursuit of their subjects. Knowledge honed, not biologically owned.
Upon digging a little bit, I discovered that people who are balanced in their use of both sides of their brain are known to have a Golden Brain. With a “Golden Grain” both sides are equally dominant, and you are perceived as creative, free-spirited, rigid, and logical all at the same time.
What are the weaknesses of a right-brained person? Right-brained characteristics tend to me less detail-oriented than left-brained characteristics. They may not be as organised, and they can't always focus on one task at a time. They tend to procrastinate more, and they're easily distracted by new ideas or projects.
While everyone uses both sides of their brains in work (and in life), people who think of themselves as right-brained tend to be creative, emotional, and intuitive. They are more likely an imaginative and innovative thinker and are often drawn to fields where they can express themselves freely and help others.
“We use the language center to appreciate music, which spans both sides of the brain, though language and words are interpreted in the left hemisphere while music and sounds are inerpreted in the right hemisphere,” Yonetani says.
The left brain is often associated with logical thinking, analysis, and language skills. On the other hand, the right brain is thought to be more creative, intuitive, and skilled at visual tasks.
All of which are right-brained words. For comparison, typical left-brained words would be; 'analytical', 'planned', 'structured', 'risk averse'. Leadership therefore tends to be a more right-brained activity, while management is more left-brained.
Trouble reading and writing. Changes in speech. Deficits in planning, organization, and memory as those skills relate to language. Weakness or lack of movement on the right side of the body.
IQ is a measure of global intelligence in the brain and in order to reach certain levels, both sides are needed. It's a myth that high IQ people are not creative and are left-brained.
But this does not justify the pop psychology concept of “left-brained” or “right-brained.” The two hemispheres are different, yet brain imaging technologies like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) suggest that, on average, we use both sides of our brain equally. We are all “brain-ambidextrous.”
They are described as logical, analytical, and orderly. The theory suggests that people who are left-brain dominant do well in careers that involve linear thinking, math, and verbal information.
Instead, each side is more or less responsible for certain roles or areas of focus. For example, the left side is generally responsible for logic and language, while the right is responsible for creativity and intuition.
Split brain theory is the theory of the function of each hemisphere and the importance of the corpus callosum for communication between the two. The theory was originally developed in the 1950s by Roger W. Sperry when he experimented on animals. It was later continued in the 1960s with human experimentation.
It was assumed that the opposite would be true for lefties. But this is not the case. In fact, 70% of left-handers also process language more in the left hemisphere. Why this number is lower, rather than reversed, is as yet unknown.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
