Different bodily processes are managed by the left and right sides of the brain. There is, however, little proof that either side of the brain may influence a person’s personality or behavior.
Some individuals say that a person’s brain type either left or right determines how they think and act. We examine the veracity and invalidity of this assertion in this essay. Continue reading to discover more about the roles and traits of the left and right brains.
How is the brain organized?
The brain is a sophisticated organ that regulates every body function, including cognition, sensory perception, and movement. The human brain has 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion connections, yet only weighs 3 pounds.
To transfer information across the central nervous system, neurons use electrical and chemical impulses as messengers (CNS).
The brain uses its neuron network to interpret the information it receives and send messages to every region of the body to regulate biological functions and react to stimuli.
Brain’s left and right halves.
The functions and activities controlled by the left and right sides of the brain vary. Six distinct lobes are present in each half of the brain.
For speaking and intellectual thought, the left side of the brain is principally responsible. It is also in charge of the body’s right side. Image processing, spatial reasoning, and movement on the left side of the body are all functions of the right side of the brain.
Through nerve fibers, the left and right sides of the brain are linked. The two halves of a healthy brain talk to one another.
However, there is no requirement that the two parties speak to one another. Even if the two hemispheres of the brain are damaged, a person can still operate largely normally.
Theory of the left and right brains
The neurobiologist Roger W. Sperry proposed in the 1960s that everyone had a dominant half of the brain that governs their personality, thoughts, and actions.
The notion that humans can be left-brained and right-brained is alluring because of the distinct ways in which the two cerebral hemispheres function. The outmoded view holds that left-brained individuals are more:
- Analytical
- Logical
- Fact- and detail-focused
- Numerical
- More prone to think verbally
Alternatively, the idea contends that right-brained individuals are more likely to be:
- Creative
- Free-thinking
- Having the capacity for perspective
- Intuitive
- Greater propensity to visualize than to verbally think
Exactly what does the research say?
There is evidence to refute the left brain vs. right brain theory. While certain regions of the brain do predominate in the processing of different mental tasks, there is often no overall dominant side.
The brains of more than 1,000 people were examined in 3-D images in a 2013 study. Using an MRI scanner, they assessed how active the left and right hemispheres were. Their findings demonstrate that there is no apparent dominant hemisphere and that a person uses both halves of the brain equally.
According to the task they are performing, a person’s brain activity does vary. For instance, even though both sides of the brain are required for accurate comprehension, a review from 2020 contends that the left side of the brain exerts the greatest influence while processing language.
Each hemisphere’s purposes and traits: While there are distinctions between what the left and right hemispheres do, people do not always fit neatly into the classifications of being left- or right-brained. The left and right hemispheres of the brain operate differently in the following areas:
Emotion: Although the right side of the brain is dominant in these activities, the brain requires several areas to process and produce emotional reactions. All emotions operate in this way.
Language: Speech is produced with more left brain activity than right. The left hemisphere of most people houses Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas, which are the two primary language regions.
Handedness: Different brain regions are used differently by those who are left- or right-handed. For instance, a left-handed person uses their right brain for manual tasks, whereas a right-handed person does the opposite.
Even before birth, asymmetries like this might arise. For instance, some infants begin sucking their thumbs as early as 15 weeks.
Do individuals have varying degrees of hemisphere dominance?
How different people’s brains function varies. Language processing can occur symmetrically throughout the hemispheres in some persons or largely on the right side in others.
According to a significant study conducted in 2021, left-handed persons frequently use different sides of their brains than right-handed people do for working memory, language, vision, and hand control.
Additionally, it was discovered by researchers that the right side of the brain often contained greater grey matter in left-handed people. This may be because the dominant left hand is managed by the right side of the brain.
Tips for maintaining mental acuity –
The ability to remember things and think clearly can be enhanced by remaining active and participating in mentally challenging activities.
Meditation: There is mounting proof that mindful meditation helps halt the decline in cognitive function that comes with aging.
Exercise: Regular exercise can enhance episodic memory in older persons.
Sleep: A 2020 study found that adults’ cognitive loss is accelerated when they receive too little or too much sleep.
Games that stimulate: According to studies, playing mentally challenging games like number puzzles daily can assist seniors over the age of 50 to function more cognitively.
Diet: Slowing cognitive aging is a straightforward and effective process that can be achieved by eating a balanced, healthy diet.
Summary
The brain is a multifaceted organ with many different sections and purposes. Different biological functions are controlled by the left and right sides of the brain, which also functions differently.
Individuals may divide these processes differently. For instance, the majority of right-handed persons use the left side of the brain predominantly for language and communication, whereas left-handed people are less likely to do this.
Even though the two parts of the brain serve different purposes, humans do not have a dominant half that shapes their personalities and actions.