Analysis of Left and Right Brain Hemispheres

Popular opinion holds that there is a clear-cut divide between the right and left
hemispheres of the brain with the right hemisphere associated with creativity and the left
hemisphere associated with logic. According to Kara Federmeier, a professor of psychology
at the University of Illinois, evidence from research challenges this popular belief about one
hemisphere of the brain is logical and another one is creative (Lmabroso, 2013). Federmeier
argues that the two hemispheres of the brain are involved in both creativity and logic. An
example provided is that of Math skill which if often considered to be a preserve for the
logical part of the brain. According to Federmeier excellence in Math requires different skills.
The skills include estimating quantity of a set of objects, reciting multiplication tables, and
counting. Federmeier argues that some Math tasks such reciting multiplication tables require
greater use of the left hemisphere while the right hemisphere gives one advantages in
performing tasks such as estimating quantity of a set of objects. Thus, even for skills that are
usually associated with logic, it is clear that both the left and right hemispheres of the brain
are needed to execute them successfully. For Federmeier, the fact that the two brain
hemispheres have different levels of proficiency in performing different tasks is a mystery
because the two hemispheres are physically similar. It is for this reason that Federmeier
considers further research about the similarities and differences of the two brain hemispheres
to be very important.

To investigate the differences and similarities between the two brain hemispheres,
experiments are usually conducted involving participants that are often either retired adults or
students. The participants are made to look at a screen where words or pictures are displayed
in a fairly rapid manner. Ideas about which hemisphere is capable of doing are developed by
comparing how people respond to the images or words processed by either the left or right

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side of the brain. To gather data about activities in the left and right hemispheres during the
experiment, researchers take measures of brain electrical activity. Such measures allow the
researches to determine when and how the two brain hemispheres perform different tasks.

In reading Federmeier’s explanation about the functioning of the two brain
hemispheres, I found the explanation about how the eye is connected to different hemispheres
both interesting and surprising. I have long believed that the left and right eyes are connected
to the left and right hemispheres respectively. It turns out that information observed by the
left eye goes to the right hemisphere and vice versa. This revelation was both interesting and
surprising as it seems much more logical to have the left and right hemispheres to process
information received from left and right eyes respectively. I also found it surprising that the
left and right hemispheres are both involved in performing tasks that are considered either
logical or creative. Even though I was surprised, I found the explanation quite satisfactory. In
the example of Math skills, it makes sense to break down the skills into tasks that can be
performed by the two brain hemispheres at different levels of proficiency. The idea that a
large and complex field of study such as Math only has tasks that can be performed by one
hemisphere of the brain is simplistic and unrealistic.

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References

Lambroso, T. (2013, December 2). The Truth About the Left Brain, Right Brain Relationship.
NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2013/12/02/248089436/the-truth-about-the-
left-brain-right-brain-relationship