Lefty or Righty

Weighing in at approximately 3 pounds, the human brain is the command central of all thoughts, sensations and actions. This intricate organ is divided into two halves or hemispheres, with each half controlling certain functions. Both sides of the brain look look almost identical but there’sa huge difference in how they process information. However, the two halves of your brain do not work independently of each other.

As scientists continue mapping the brain more insight is gained into which parts control necessary functions. A predominant theory is that people are either left- or right-brained. The theory posits that one side of the brain is dominant in each person. Left-brained people are thought to be more analytical and methodical in their thinking, whereas more creative or artistic people are said to be more right-brained. This theory is based on the fact that the brain’s two hemispheres function differently, and was first put forward in the 1960s by Nobel Prize winner and psychobiologist Roger W. Sperry.

According to Sperry’s dated research, the left brain is connected to application of logic, sequencing, linear thinking, mathematics, facts and thinking in words, while the ‘visual and intuitive’ right brain is connected to imagination, holistic thinking, intuition, the arts, rhythm, nonverbal cues, visualization of feelings and daydreaming. The “right-brainers” are supposedly the more intuitive and creative freethinkers who are qualitative “big-picture” thinkers who experience the world in terms that are descriptive and subjective. Their “left-brainer” counterparts are more analytical in their approach, detail-oriented and ruled by logic. However, even though the two sides of the brain are different, it does not necessary mean that we have a dominant brain similar to us having a dominant hand.

The notions of “left versus right brain-ness” are widespread and often regarded as acceptable way of classifying an individual’s thinking style. Recent research, however, shows no proof that the theory of brain hemisphere dominance is correct. Magnetic resonance imaging of 1,000 people revealed that the human brain does not actually favour one side over the other. Both hemisphers are tied together by bundles of nerve fibres which creates an information highway, which are in constant communication with each other.

The lack of research supporting the assumption that people are left or right brained is further discounted by several fatal flaws. One such flaw is that it relies on vague conceptions of the abilities as it purports to Math, which has been touted as being a left-brain discipline, far removed from the the “artsyness” of the right-brain. However, Mathematics is profoundly creative in addition to being a logical endeavor. Would a gifted Mathematician then be a left or right-brained person? Similarly, artistic creativity is not just the unbridled emotions feeding off a creative muse. Many of the greatest works of art are products of rigorous precise thought and are highly detail-oriented.

Much of our kownledge of the functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain comes from research of so-called ‘split brain’ patients. In the 1940s, doctors discovered that by surgically severing the corpus callosum –the bundle of nerve fibres connecting both brain hemisphers- seizures can be reduced in patients suffering from unmanageable epilepsy. Post-operation, patients were able to function normally in both emotional and intellectual capacities, with very mild impairments. Through these examinations, it was noticed that the two halves of the brain function differently but yet manage to corporate seamless with each other. The right hemisphere was observed to be more proficient at spatial tasks while the left side appeared to be the centre of problem-solving and language proficiency.

The theory of left or right brain-ness has deeply ingrained itself in our perception of ourselves and each other because perhaps intuitively human beings have a tendency to categorize themselves according to schemes that sort us into identifiable categories in order to have a sense of place –a notion interestingly enough, managed by both hemispheres of the brain.