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Given the popularity of the idea of “left-brained” and “right-brained” thinkers, it might surprise you to learn that this idea is just one of many myths about the brain.
Like most things in life, it’s not all or nothing, or this OR that. We have to remember that regardless of which side of the brain is more dominant for us, both sides are involved.—RACHEL GOLDMAN, PHD, FTOS
Like most things in life, it’s not all or nothing, or this OR that. We have to remember that regardless of which side of the brain is more dominant for us, both sides are involved.
—RACHEL GOLDMAN, PHD, FTOS
Michela Buttignol for Verywell Mind
Left Brain vs Right Brain Traits
People described as left-brain thinkers are told they have strong math and logic skills. On the other hand, those who are described as right-brain thinkers are told that their talents are more on thecreativeside of things.Here are a few traits of each.
Traits of a Left-Brained Person
The left side of the brain is adept at certain tasks. Characteristics of the left brain include those related to:
What are “left-brained” people like? 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. This includes careers such as accountant, scientist, or computer programmer.
Traits of a Right-Brained Person
According to the left-brain, right-brain dominance theory, the right side of the brain is best at expressive and creative tasks. There are several abilities popularly associated with the right side of the brain. Based on these, a right-brained thinker is good at:
So what are so-called “right-brained people” like? They are often described as being more emotional, intuitive, and creative. They are often described as doing well in careers that involve creative expression and free-thinking, such as becoming an artist, psychologist, or writer.
Theory of Left Brain vs Right Brain Dominance
According to the theory of left brain or right brain dominance, each side of the brain controls different types of thinking.Additionally, people are said to prefer one type of thinking over the other.
For example, a person who is “left-brained” is often said to be more logical, analytical, and objective. A person who is “right-brained” is said to be more intuitive, thoughtful, and subjective.
Inpsychology, the theory is based on the lateralization of brain function. The brain contains two hemispheres that each perform a number of roles. The two sides of the braincommunicate with one anothervia the corpus callosum.
The left hemisphere controls the muscles on the right side of the body, while the right hemisphere controls those on the left. This is why damage to the left side of the brain, for example, might have an effect on the right side of the body.
1:28Click Play to Learn About the Left Brain and the Right Brain
1:28
Click Play to Learn About the Left Brain and the Right Brain
History of Left Brain vs. Right Brain Theory
So does one side of the brain control specific functions? Are people either left-brained or right-brained? Like many popular psychology myths, this one grew out of observations of the human brain that were then dramatically distorted and exaggerated.
The left-brain-right-brain theory originated in the work of Roger W. Sperry, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1981.He studied brain functioning in patients who had theircorpus callosum(the structure that connects the two hemispheres of the brain) surgically severed to treat refractory epilepsy.
Generally speaking, the left side of the brain tends to control many aspects of language and logic, while the right side tends to handle spatial information and visual comprehension.
Left Brain vs. Right Brain Research
Later research has shown that the brain is not nearly as dichotomous as once thought. For example, research has shown that abilities in subjects such as math are strongest when both halves of the brain work together.
Today, neuroscientists know that the two sides of the brain collaborate to perform a broad variety of tasks and that the two hemispheres communicate through the corpus callosum.“No matter how lateralized the brain can get, though, the two sides still work together,” science writer Carl Zimmer explained in an article forDiscovermagazine.
“The pop psychology notion of a left brain and a right brain doesn’t capture their intimate working relationship. The left hemisphere specializes in picking out the sounds that form words and working out the syntax of the phrase, for example, but it does not have a monopoly on language processing. The right hemisphere is more sensitive to the emotional features of language, tuning in to the slow rhythms of speech that carry intonation and stress.”
The study revealed that while activity was sometimes higher in certain critical regions, both sides of the brain were essentially equal in their activity on average.
So while people are often described as being either right-brained or left-brained, the truth is that they are actually both. While the idea of left-brain vs. right-brain thinkers has been debunked, its popularity persists.
Persisting Myths of the Left Brain vs. Right Brain
Researchers have demonstrated that left-brain/right-brain theory is a myth,yet its popularity persists. Why? Unfortunately, many people are likely unaware that the theory is outdated. In fact, the idea seems to have taken on a mind of its own within popular culture.
From magazine articles to books to online quizzes, you are bound to see information suggesting that you can unleash the power of your mind if you just discover which side of your brain is stronger or more dominant.
Today, students might continue to learn about the theory as a point of historical interest—to understand how our ideas about how the brain works have evolved and changed over time as researchers have learned more about how the brain operates.
Clinical psychologist Rachel Goldman, PhD, FTOS recommends that we take time to think about our unique strengths and traits and think about what areas we may want to work on or improve. “We can all benefit from improving our brain health, but first we have to identify what may be working for us, or not, and what areas we may want to exercise in order to make them stronger,” she explains. “The great news is that we can improve our brain health, build on our strengths, and create new ways of thinking and doing—it just takes identifying it and then practicing it!”
Rachel Goldman, PhD, FTOSWe can all benefit from improving our brain health, but first we have to identify what may be working for us, or not, and what areas we may want to exercise in order to make them stronger.
Rachel Goldman, PhD, FTOS
We can all benefit from improving our brain health, but first we have to identify what may be working for us, or not, and what areas we may want to exercise in order to make them stronger.
The important thing to remember if you take one of the many left-brain/right-brain quizzes you will likely encounter online is that they are entirely for fun, and you shouldn’t place much stock in your results.
Dispelling Myths About the Brain: 8 Facts About Our Most Important Organ
Improving Brain Health Whether You Feel Left-Brained or Right-Brained
Whether you feel like you tend to be more of a creative type or an analytical type, there are things that you can do to keep your mind sharp and your brain healthy.
12 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Corballis MC.Left brain, right brain: facts and fantasies.PLoS Biol.2014;12(1):e1001767. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001767Joseph R.The right cerebral hemisphere: emotion, music, visual-spatial skills, body-image, dreams, and awareness.J Clin Psychol.1988;44(5):630-73.Whitehouse AJ, Bishop DV.Hemispheric division of function is the result of independent probabilistic biases.Neuropsychologia. 2009;47(8-9):1938-43. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.03.005Goldie J.The implications of brain lateralisation for modern general practice.Br J Gen Pract.2016;66(642):44-5. doi: 10.3399/bjgp16X683341Gazzaniga MS.The split-brain: rooting consciousness in biology.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.2014;111(51):18093-4. doi:10.1073/pnas.1417892111Shen HH.Inner workings: Discovering the split mind.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.2014;111(51):18097. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1422335112Gainotti G.Why are the right and left hemisphere conceptual representations different?Behav Neurol.2014;2014:603134. doi:10.1155/2014/603134Liederman J.The dynamics of interhemispheric collaboration and hemispheric control.Brain Cogn.1998;36(2):193-208. doi:10.1006/brcg.1997.0952Macdonald K, Germine L, Anderson A, Christodoulou J, Mcgrath LM.Dispelling the Myth: Training in Education or Neuroscience Decreases but Does Not Eliminate Beliefs in Neuromyths.Front Psychol.2017;8:1314. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01314Tyndall AV, Clark CM, Anderson TJ, Hogan DB, Hill MD, Longman RS, Poulin MJ.Protective effects of exercise on cognition and brain health in older edults.Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2018;46(4):215-223. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000161Hotz I, Deschwanden PF, Mérillat S, Liem F, Kollias S, Jäncke L.Associations of subclinical cerebral small vessel disease and processing speed in non-demented subjects: A 7-year study.NeuroImage: Clinical. 2021;32:102884. doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102884Sommerlad A, Sabia S, Singh-manoux A, Lewis G, Livingston G.Association of social contact with dementia and cognition: 28-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study.PLoS Med. 2019;16(8):e1002862. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002862Additional ReadingNielsen, JA, Zielinski, BA, Ferguson, MA, Lainhart, JE, & Anderson, JS.An Evaluation of the Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain Hypothesis With Resting State Functional Connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging.PLOS One; 2013.Rogers, M.Researchers Debunk Myth of “Right Brain” and “Left-Brain” Personality Traits. University of Utah, Office of Public Affairs; 2013.
12 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Corballis MC.Left brain, right brain: facts and fantasies.PLoS Biol.2014;12(1):e1001767. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001767Joseph R.The right cerebral hemisphere: emotion, music, visual-spatial skills, body-image, dreams, and awareness.J Clin Psychol.1988;44(5):630-73.Whitehouse AJ, Bishop DV.Hemispheric division of function is the result of independent probabilistic biases.Neuropsychologia. 2009;47(8-9):1938-43. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.03.005Goldie J.The implications of brain lateralisation for modern general practice.Br J Gen Pract.2016;66(642):44-5. doi: 10.3399/bjgp16X683341Gazzaniga MS.The split-brain: rooting consciousness in biology.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.2014;111(51):18093-4. doi:10.1073/pnas.1417892111Shen HH.Inner workings: Discovering the split mind.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.2014;111(51):18097. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1422335112Gainotti G.Why are the right and left hemisphere conceptual representations different?Behav Neurol.2014;2014:603134. doi:10.1155/2014/603134Liederman J.The dynamics of interhemispheric collaboration and hemispheric control.Brain Cogn.1998;36(2):193-208. doi:10.1006/brcg.1997.0952Macdonald K, Germine L, Anderson A, Christodoulou J, Mcgrath LM.Dispelling the Myth: Training in Education or Neuroscience Decreases but Does Not Eliminate Beliefs in Neuromyths.Front Psychol.2017;8:1314. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01314Tyndall AV, Clark CM, Anderson TJ, Hogan DB, Hill MD, Longman RS, Poulin MJ.Protective effects of exercise on cognition and brain health in older edults.Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2018;46(4):215-223. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000161Hotz I, Deschwanden PF, Mérillat S, Liem F, Kollias S, Jäncke L.Associations of subclinical cerebral small vessel disease and processing speed in non-demented subjects: A 7-year study.NeuroImage: Clinical. 2021;32:102884. doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102884Sommerlad A, Sabia S, Singh-manoux A, Lewis G, Livingston G.Association of social contact with dementia and cognition: 28-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study.PLoS Med. 2019;16(8):e1002862. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002862Additional ReadingNielsen, JA, Zielinski, BA, Ferguson, MA, Lainhart, JE, & Anderson, JS.An Evaluation of the Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain Hypothesis With Resting State Functional Connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging.PLOS One; 2013.Rogers, M.Researchers Debunk Myth of “Right Brain” and “Left-Brain” Personality Traits. University of Utah, Office of Public Affairs; 2013.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Corballis MC.Left brain, right brain: facts and fantasies.PLoS Biol.2014;12(1):e1001767. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001767Joseph R.The right cerebral hemisphere: emotion, music, visual-spatial skills, body-image, dreams, and awareness.J Clin Psychol.1988;44(5):630-73.Whitehouse AJ, Bishop DV.Hemispheric division of function is the result of independent probabilistic biases.Neuropsychologia. 2009;47(8-9):1938-43. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.03.005Goldie J.The implications of brain lateralisation for modern general practice.Br J Gen Pract.2016;66(642):44-5. doi: 10.3399/bjgp16X683341Gazzaniga MS.The split-brain: rooting consciousness in biology.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.2014;111(51):18093-4. doi:10.1073/pnas.1417892111Shen HH.Inner workings: Discovering the split mind.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.2014;111(51):18097. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1422335112Gainotti G.Why are the right and left hemisphere conceptual representations different?Behav Neurol.2014;2014:603134. doi:10.1155/2014/603134Liederman J.The dynamics of interhemispheric collaboration and hemispheric control.Brain Cogn.1998;36(2):193-208. doi:10.1006/brcg.1997.0952Macdonald K, Germine L, Anderson A, Christodoulou J, Mcgrath LM.Dispelling the Myth: Training in Education or Neuroscience Decreases but Does Not Eliminate Beliefs in Neuromyths.Front Psychol.2017;8:1314. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01314Tyndall AV, Clark CM, Anderson TJ, Hogan DB, Hill MD, Longman RS, Poulin MJ.Protective effects of exercise on cognition and brain health in older edults.Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2018;46(4):215-223. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000161Hotz I, Deschwanden PF, Mérillat S, Liem F, Kollias S, Jäncke L.Associations of subclinical cerebral small vessel disease and processing speed in non-demented subjects: A 7-year study.NeuroImage: Clinical. 2021;32:102884. doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102884Sommerlad A, Sabia S, Singh-manoux A, Lewis G, Livingston G.Association of social contact with dementia and cognition: 28-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study.PLoS Med. 2019;16(8):e1002862. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002862
Corballis MC.Left brain, right brain: facts and fantasies.PLoS Biol.2014;12(1):e1001767. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001767
Joseph R.The right cerebral hemisphere: emotion, music, visual-spatial skills, body-image, dreams, and awareness.J Clin Psychol.1988;44(5):630-73.
Whitehouse AJ, Bishop DV.Hemispheric division of function is the result of independent probabilistic biases.Neuropsychologia. 2009;47(8-9):1938-43. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.03.005
Goldie J.The implications of brain lateralisation for modern general practice.Br J Gen Pract.2016;66(642):44-5. doi: 10.3399/bjgp16X683341
Gazzaniga MS.The split-brain: rooting consciousness in biology.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.2014;111(51):18093-4. doi:10.1073/pnas.1417892111
Shen HH.Inner workings: Discovering the split mind.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.2014;111(51):18097. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1422335112
Gainotti G.Why are the right and left hemisphere conceptual representations different?Behav Neurol.2014;2014:603134. doi:10.1155/2014/603134
Liederman J.The dynamics of interhemispheric collaboration and hemispheric control.Brain Cogn.1998;36(2):193-208. doi:10.1006/brcg.1997.0952
Macdonald K, Germine L, Anderson A, Christodoulou J, Mcgrath LM.Dispelling the Myth: Training in Education or Neuroscience Decreases but Does Not Eliminate Beliefs in Neuromyths.Front Psychol.2017;8:1314. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01314
Tyndall AV, Clark CM, Anderson TJ, Hogan DB, Hill MD, Longman RS, Poulin MJ.Protective effects of exercise on cognition and brain health in older edults.Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2018;46(4):215-223. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000161
Hotz I, Deschwanden PF, Mérillat S, Liem F, Kollias S, Jäncke L.Associations of subclinical cerebral small vessel disease and processing speed in non-demented subjects: A 7-year study.NeuroImage: Clinical. 2021;32:102884. doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102884
Sommerlad A, Sabia S, Singh-manoux A, Lewis G, Livingston G.Association of social contact with dementia and cognition: 28-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study.PLoS Med. 2019;16(8):e1002862. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002862
Nielsen, JA, Zielinski, BA, Ferguson, MA, Lainhart, JE, & Anderson, JS.An Evaluation of the Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain Hypothesis With Resting State Functional Connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging.PLOS One; 2013.Rogers, M.Researchers Debunk Myth of “Right Brain” and “Left-Brain” Personality Traits. University of Utah, Office of Public Affairs; 2013.
Nielsen, JA, Zielinski, BA, Ferguson, MA, Lainhart, JE, & Anderson, JS.An Evaluation of the Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain Hypothesis With Resting State Functional Connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging.PLOS One; 2013.
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