Both the left and right hemispheres of the brain are responsible for different functions. Some people think that the dominance of one side could affect behavior and personality, but is this really the case?
Brain Functions
The brain controls all the processes in the body, including physical action, sensory perceptions, and thought. While the organ only weighs three pounds, it holds up to 100 trillion connections and 100 billion neurons, which are messengers of information that make use of chemical and electrical impulses for transmitting information through the central nervous system (CNS).
Both sides of the brain are responsible for different functions and processes. Each hemisphere has six unique lobes. The left side of the brain is mainly responsible for abstract thinking and speech. It also manages the body's right side.
As for the brain's right side, it handles spatial thinking, image processing, and the movement of the body's left side.
Both sides are connected through nerve fibers. When the brain is healthy, both the left and right sides communicate with each other. However, even if one has an injury that could separate both hemispheres, these sides could still function quite normally.
Left Brain or Right Brain?
The theory regarding left brain or right brain dominance was suggested by neurobiologist Roger W. Sperry in the 1960s. Sperry argued that everyone has half of their brain that is more dominant and that determines thoughts, behavior, and personality.
Given the hemisphere differences between the two, the idea of having a dominant side may appear tempting. Based on the theory, people with a dominant left brain are more logical, analytical, numerical, fact- and detail-oriented, and have higher chances of thinking linguistically.
On the other hand, the theory holds that right-brained individuals are free-thinking, creative, intuitive, can see the bigger picture, and are more likely to visualize rather than think linguistically.
Is There Really a Dominant Brain Side?
While the idea may sound tempting, research actually contradicts this theory. Though there are certain brain parts that may dominate the functions and processes of various mental tasks, there is no one side that is more dominant over the other.
A study in 2013 looked into 3D images of more than a thousand people's brains. The researchers measured left and right hemisphere activity through an MRI scanner. Findings revealed that individuals use both sides and that no dominant side was observed.
However, the brain activity of a person may differ depending on the tasks performed. A review in 2020 suggests that the brain's left side has higher dominance when it comes to language processing, though both sides are crucial for fully comprehending things.
People cannot be categorized as being right- or left-brained as both hemispheres have differences in terms of functions. For one, when it comes to emotion, the right side of the brain is more dominant in such processes, while the left side is more active when it comes to the production of speech.
Handedness can also show brain usage differences. For instance, a left-handed person may use their right brain for tasks that are manual.
It is also important to note that the brains of people do not function in the same way. There are some individuals who use their left brain to process language, while others may use their right side for this or even do so symmetrically across the two sides.
Both sides work differently and take charge of different processes and functions. The divisions could be different across individuals. Nevertheless, people do not have a dominant side that could affect their behavior and personality.
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