Left Brain / Right Brain

Why this personality theory falls flat

Are you a 'left-brain thinker' or a 'right-brain thinker'? Despite what personality quizzes might tell you, neuroscience doesn't support the idea that people are dominated by one hemisphere. Both sides of your brain work together on virtually every task you do.

More details

While it's true that certain functions lean slightly toward one hemisphere, language processing often favors the left, for instance, no one is fundamentally 'left-brained' or 'right-brained.' A large brain imaging study found no evidence that individuals have a stronger network on one side. Your brain's real superpower is how seamlessly the two halves collaborate.

Related Science Card

Keep training to unlock

Left Brain / Right Brain

Related Research

Nielsen, J. A., Zielinski, B. A., Ferguson, M. A., Lainhart, J. E., & Anderson, J. S. (2013). An evaluation of the left-brain vs. right-brain hypothesis with resting state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging. PLoS ONE, 8(8), e71275.