Does The Left Brain Affect The Right Brain?

Sandra Witelson is currently a professor at McMaster University which is located in Hamilton, Ontario. Witelson is a professor for the department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences. Witelson had a love for science at a young age as her father was an intelligent man and encouraged Witelson’s interest in the human body. When first attending McGill University, Witelson had planned to major in mathematics, but changed her mind when she realized that psychology was a better fitting choice (Science.ca). Witelson has an outstanding background of education as she has received her B.Sc, M.Sc, and PhD from McGill University. Witelson’s research interests focus primarily around the brain and its functions based on whether it is a male or female brain. The main focus of Witelson’s research is around biological basis for cognition in male and female brains. Sandra Witelson’s research allows for a further understanding of different cognitive functions within the male and female brains (McMaster University).

Gender differences have been recorded by researches from single neurons in the cell to system level processes (Cahill 2006), and certain scientists proposed that sex hormones influence the development of prefrontal cortex, and this is supposed to be the cause of the differences in working memory performance (Duff & Hampson, 2001). This study further investigated the existence and nature of this gender difference. A sample of 497 Monash University psychology undergraduates (385 females and 112 males; ages 18 – 64) were recruited for this study. Working memory performance was tested with online 'spatial working memory ' test, and 2D:4D finger length ratio was used as an indirect measure of sex hormone levels. The results revealed no sex differences in the working memory performance, but variance in 2D:4D ratio – females had a larger ratio than males. Memory reaction time was negatively correlated with 2D:4D ratio, thus, females had a quicker reaction time.

| Researchers have found that the female hippocampus tends to be larger than the male hippocampus. Based on evidence presented in the Critical Thinking box in the text, “ 'His ' and 'Her ' Brains?” you would be justified in asserting which of the following?1. Because of the differences in the size of the hippocampus, females will be

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the correlational method as a means for examining the relationship between functions of the left and right hemispheres. I will compare the performance of people with intact brains with the performance of so-called split-brain patients. In many ways, the brains of these two groups are very similar. 1a. The brain stem is found in the deepest part of the brain. The brainstem controls the automatic survival functions of the body, such as breathing. There are no differences between the function of the normal brainstem and the brain of a split brain patient. The brainstem will still supply the automatic survival functions of the body. 1b. The hippocampus is found in the limbic system along with the amygdala, the hypothalamus. The hippocampus is in charge of allowing the body to process information into memories. Without the hippocampus, there is no way for new memories to be created. There is no anatomical difference between the hippocampus in the normal brain and a split brain. 1c. The corpus callosum is found in the center of the brain. The role it plays as a part of the brain is it connects both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, allowing them to work and interact together as a whole system. The difference between the anatomy of the corpus callosum in a split brain patient versus someone without a

According to Hetherington and Parke (2002), studies of brain imaging identified that in female bilateralism there were greater amounts of blood flow. The male brain reflects greater lateralization attributing to a higher success rate in spatial tasks and mathematics.

Describe how an understanding of both a normally functioning brain and a split brain enables us to better appreciate the fact that most information processing takes place outside of

As shown in the chart, the split brain has a low correlation than the intact brain, which has a higher correlation. This proves that a person with a split brain cannot process information to the left and right. Face recognition is in the right side of the brain while vocabulary and reasoning in the left side of the brain. When comparing face and reasoning it only gave a low correlation same with face and vocabulary. Vocabulary and reasoning is in the left hemisphere, therefore, being a bit more stronger than the rest of the results. In the intact brain reasoning, vocabulary, and face are being processed to the left and right showing that they are laterized.

The brain is very complex and allows us to do different things. The part of the brain known as the

In her scientific work Sex Differences in the Brain Kimura analysis several key differences that cause men and women to excel in various tasks and jobs due to naturally occurring phenomenon in the body and

Essentially, splitting the brain means severing the main bond between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Meaning that the communication between the left and right side of the brain is extremely limited, to be generous.

In Daphne case one night, Daphne and Chris met up with Michael, a 44-year-old man with a long history of alcohol problems. After a night of drinking, a fight broke out and Michael was stabbed, his throat cut, and his body dumped in the pond. Police searched the area and found Michaels slashed and stabbed body in the water; he had been disemboweled by Chris and Daphne in an attempt to sink the body. Later Chris testifies, claiming that Daphne instigated the fight and egged him on, taunting him that he was too scared to kill someone. Chris says that when she was drunk, Daphne often talked of killing an adult because she hated older people, especially her parents. Daphne’s parents claim that although she has been a burden with her mood swings and volatile behavior, she is still a child and can be helped with

Medical researchers have been aware for a long time that the male and female brain is different in size. In 2001, researchers from Harvard found certain parts of the brain were differently sized in males and females; this may answer some of the questions about the difference in the male and female brain in regards to development and

Studies by Broca concluded that, on average, the brain of a women is one hundred and eighty one grams lighter than that of a man, or fourteen percent (Gould, 1978). However, not all researchers are convinced of these findings. Researcher Gould (1978) explains how Broca may not have allowed for variations in height, body shape or degeneration when comparing his measurements. However, Rushton (1997) counters that even Gould’s revision of Broca’s data indicates a difference in relative

directly due to either being left brain or right brain. What is left brain or right brain you ask?

Studies have also been carried out into whether or not there are differences between male and female brain size and whether this affects how we relate to each other in terms of gender. Simon Baron-Cohen believes that male brains are wired towards systematic understanding and females are wired towards empathy. In addition he says that this is not necessarily always the case but the majority are wired in this way: “Both sexes have their strengths and weaknesses. Neither sex is superior overall.” (Baron-Cohen, S. 2003).