Are You Right Brained or Left Brained?
Hemispheric dominance is the idea that both hemispheres of the brain are designed to perform specialized, but different tasks. Both sides of the brain control and receive sensory input from one another, which is known as contralateral control. The performance of tasks may also be referred to as “lateralization.” The theory of hemispheric dominance, however, has been oversimplified for many years due to people confusing the actual science with personality traits.
For example, many people associate the left hemisphere with mathematical skills and logistics, whereas the right hemisphere is known for artistic and imaginative skills. But why is that? It is true that both sides of the brain carry out specific functions, but they should not be categorized as two separate ways of thinking. Many processes are carried out in both sides of the brain. For example, the left side of the brain is dominant when processing speech, even though speech is processed using both sides of the brain.
All of the very complex behaviors and functions of the brain are shared with different regions on both sides of the brain; therefore, this idea of being right-brained or left-brained is a myth, perpetuated in part by some misinformed “scientific articles”.
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On their website, UCMAS Math Schools make the claim that, “By learning abacus through the systematic training approach at UCMAS, children can fully realize their potential by activating both sides of their brain. By consciously using the right side of our brain, we can be more creative.” It is not possible to “consciously” use a specific half of our brain, and our hemispheres do not need to be manually activated. This school is interpreting the concept of hemispheric dominance in a false way to create pseudo-scientific support of their use of abacuses.
UCMAS’ website shows that they are a tutoring program, but they fail to cite any sources in their article on left and right brains. Also, once you click on “More Info on Brain Development”, it brings you to a page which states the following: “Recent studies have proven that the abacus method of mental calculation is extremely effective in activating the right brain. According to the research, the learning and thinking process is enhanced when both sides of the brain participate in a balanced manner.” Of course, none of the studies mentioned in this section are cited. It becomes quite clear that the article is a marketing attempt for getting parents to sign their children up for classes.
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Iain McGilchrist, in an article written for the Wall Street Journal, talks of the two hemispheres of the brain as two separate worlds, and says that one hemisphere can come to dominate individuals and even whole cultures. He claims that, “Without the right hemisphere, we are socially and emotionally insensitive, and have an impaired understanding of beauty, art and religion”. This implies that we could actually live without one half of our brains. He goes on, explaining how life is without the left hemisphere and how throughout the ages, certain cultural changes have allowed one hemisphere or another to dominate. He is particularly concerned about Western culture, saying that the result of over 2500 years of mental battles is “an ever greater reliance on the left hemisphere”.
The Wall Street Journal article seems pretty credible at first; after all, it comes from a major publication. But on a closer look, the article comes from their Life and Style section, rather than from their Science section. And the information at the end of the article about the author, he wrote it to promote his new book.
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Anandi, the “sleep guru” claims on her website that the left hemisphere is masculine, bearing qualities “such as logic and reason”, while the right hemisphere is feminine, acting as our source of “intuition, creativity and spontaneity”. Which not only enforces wrong information about the brain, but also enforces incorrect gender roles. She then implies that the difference between the openness of our nostrils is connected to the balance between the the hemispheres.
The sleep guru site is a personal blog/webpage devoted to helping its owner, Anandi, gain new clients. Anandi helpfully lists her credentials on her “Who is the sleep guru?” page. While I am sure that her qualifications make her an excellent meditator and yoga instructor, she has no experience in neuroscience and is therefore not a credible source on hemispheric dominance.
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There is a lot of misleading information on the internet, which can make it hard to find accurate information about hemispheric dominance online. The first result that pops up when trying to research hemispheric dominance is a link to a quiz which claims to help you determine which hemisphere is most dominant, are you right brain or left brain quiz. Pop culture has adapted hemispheric dominance and turned it into a concept with little scientific basis. It’s important when researching hemispheric dominance, or any other topic, to make sure that the information is coming from a credible source.
Sources:
http://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/neuromyth6.htm
http://ucmas.ca/our-programs/whole-brain-development/left-brain-vs-right-brain/
http://ucmas.ca/our-programs/whole-brain-development/more-info/
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704304504574609992107994238
http://www.thesleepguru.co.uk/aligning-two-halves/