Are You Left-brained or Right-brained?
There are two sides of your brain known as hemispheres. Your left brain or hemisphere controls the right side of your body and deals with logical thought and linguistic function. Your right brain or hemisphere controls the left side of your body and deals with abstract thought and spatial orientation.
Hemispheric Dominance
Neuropsychologist Roger W. Sperry developed the left vs right brain theory in 1960. He believed that the human mind is right or left side dominant and that each side of the brain controls different types of thinking. His research is so important that he won the 1981 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work, along with David H. Hubel and Torsten N. Wiesel. The research suggests that some individuals utilize hemispheres equally (all use both to some degree) but most people have a greater tendency to think in a certain way.
Left Brain versus Right Brain
The majority of people are left brain dominant. Although the typical school environment in modern times tends to favor left hemisphere thinkers with expectations of logical thought and practical action, right brained thinkers who tend to be more imaginative and “outside the box” are equally valuable. Interestingly, right-brained people are often left-handed (since each hemisphere controls the opposite side’s hand) which coincides with right hemisphere dominant people being less common (as left-handed people are less common).
Left Brain Characteristics
- Logical
- Linguistic
- Practical
- Realistic
- Sequential
- Analytical
- Strategic
- Knows
- Likes Math
- Likes Reason
- Likes Science
- Critical Thinking
Right Brain Characteristics
- Intuitive
- Creative
- Imaginative
- Idealistic
- Random
- Appreciates
- Believes
- Recognizes Faces
- Expresses Emotions
- Likes Music
- Likes Art
- Sees the “Big Picture”
Why Knowing is Useful
Understanding Sperry’s theory and knowing how you personally utilize your brain hemispheres helps you understand yourself better. It improves your ability to study, learn and process information. It also informs you about the reasons why you prefer certain activities or have certain interests.
Take our Personality Test to get your personality report. It includes results for your brain hemispheres with a chart and characteristics, plus your personality type and more than 20 other pages about you.