Left Brain Right Brain Theory

One Brain or Two?, Michael Gazzaniga and Roger W. Sperry explore the independent abilities of the two hemispheres in the brain, the left and right, by studying split-brain patients and their responses to certain tests. The tests are designed to examine the mental and perceptual capacities of the split-brain patients. With careful placement of objects or pictures, the first test measures the visual abilities of the patients. The second test measures the tactile cognition abilities of the patients by allowing them to feel an object behind a screen, then asking them to name the object. The third and more challenging test combines the visual test and tactile test to measure the auditory abilities of the patients. Each of these tests shows the different ways that the brain works in split-brain and normal brain humans alike.

The human brain is a wondrous invention that has many scientists and researchers very busy to this very day. There are numerous qualities about the brain humans know about, yet there are still a great number of mysteries to the brain and how it functions left to be discovered and shared. Some facts scientists do know about the brain is that it is divided into to primary sections, called hemispheres. Each person has a left and right hemisphere of the brain. Each hemisphere is in charge of specific abilities, tasks, and functions. This paper will review what each hemisphere is responsible for and describe ways that each hemisphere is predisposed to learn.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor describes her experience of a stroke in her left hemisphere on December 10, 1996 causing her to lost the ability to move or talk, as well as her self awareness. Throughout her presentation, she mentions the basic functions of the two hemispheres of our brain: right and left hemisphere. Taylor argues both sides of the brain functions differently and process various of information. Taylor defines the right hemisphere of the human brain is about the “present moment” or “right here, right now”, it processes with pictures and learn physically based on our movements. She compares the right hemisphere to a “parallel processor”, whereas she compares the left hemisphere as a “serial processor”. Taylor defines the left hemisphere

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

The right side of the brain is responsible for putting information together eg. information recived from eyes-if you see a flower information goes from eyes to the right side of your brain , firing neurons, putting information together so you are able to say "I can see a flower".The left side of the brain analyses information which is collected by the right side of the brain. It

Roger Sperry was a psychologist and neuroscientist whose main work focused on the left and right hemispheres of the brain (Hockenbury and Hockenbury 2014). Roger Sperry’s area of research was categorized as neurophysiology. Sperry’s most famous research dealt with split-brain operations where the corpus callosum has been completely severed (Hockenbury and Hockenbury 2014). The corpus callosum consists of a bundle of neurons that are responsible for the communication between the two hemispheres of the brain. The severance of the corpus callosum was performed in order to treat severe epileptic seizures, which are caused by the unpredictable firing of neurons in one hemisphere transducing to the other hemisphere (Hockenbury and Hockenbury 2014). The separation of the corpus callosum prevents the random firing of neurons caused by epilepsy in one hemisphere from reaching the other hemisphere. The split-brain operations allowed Sperry the opportunity to study the independence and functionality of each hemisphere. Sperry’s early life and education took him on a journey that would lead to split-brain research, the Nobel Prize, and future researchers expanding on his work and knowledge.

In the excerpt “Right Brain Rising”, Daniel Pink tells his experience in depth detail of an intriguing brain scan beneficial both to his curious mind, and the world of science. He then goes on to inform readers of the two distinct halves resting in our skulls; following up with the past inferiority associated with the human right brain, thought to be due to years of evolution. After acknowledging the disproved theory, Pink delves into information pertaining to psychology’s six

Using a real human brain, Dr. Taylor explained the separation of the brain’s right and left hemispheres. The two cerebral cortices are completely separate from one another, but maintain communication via the corpus callosum. She described the right hemisphere as a parallel processor, thinking in images and learning from body movement. The right hemisphere is responsible for gathering sensory input, in the form of energy, from the environment around us. The left hemisphere, according to Dr. Taylor, is a serial processor, interpreting the sensory information gathered by the right hemisphere. The sensory information is analyzed and categorized by the linear and methodical thinking of the left hemisphere. Dr. Taylor believes the left hemisphere is responsible for interpretation of the past and future, as well as, an individual’s self-awareness. The

The brain is one of the most complicated things ever researched. Typically the brain is split into two halves. The left side of a person’s brain is used for critical and analytical thinking. When the brain is faced with a serious problem the left brain

In class on 9/18, we discussed the structures of the brain and how each part works. The brain has so many parts that it is almost impossible to remember all the parts and their functions. The brain is very complex, but the most interesting thing that was talked about was the two different hemispheres. We discussed how the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and vise versa I found it very interesting that the left side of the brain controls more of our logic and grammar, and the right side of the brain controls more emotional expressions. When Dr. Yarnell discussed her story of her friend and her friend’s husband getting in a fight I think the way she told her to help resolve it was very interesting. Her response was to move into her left side

Pink’s argument that we are moving out of a left-brain dominance and in to a new era where right brain qualities will be prized is well illustrated in part one the book. According to Pink “the two hemispheres of our brain don’t operate as on-off switches…both halves play a role in nearly everything we do” (2011). Pink suggests that both hemisphere of the brain are equally important. In fact, “a healthy,

The results of this study show us the brain is not in fact symmetrical and the two hemispheres in the brain work in different ways. The left hemisphere is known to play the dominant role, which is in control of all complex behavioural and cognitive processes as for the right hemisphere it only plays a minor role. This report will further analyse how different the two hemisphers is the dominant side of the brain.

For many decades people have been considered to be either right or left side dominant in regards to brain function which came with defined roles such as “creative” or “analytical”. This thinking tends to be over-simplified as most people use their entire brains daily (Jensen, 2010). On the other hand people do use different parts of their brain for different tasks according to how they perceive those tasks.

Left-right brain dominance is about the fact that the distinct hemispheres influence thinking. The left hemisphere is associated with logical, analytical thinking and a linear approach to problem solving. The right hemisphere is associated with creative, intuitive and value-based thought process. It is important to note that everyone uses its both hemispheres, but to varying degrees. Four quadrants of the brain, related to different thinking style, have been identified:

Left brain thinkers have a different way at arriving to solutions then right brain thinkers