![]() You may write with your right hand, but do you think with your right brain? Most people know that our brains are split into two sections, the left and right hemisphere; however, what most people do not know is that people tend to have a more dominant side of their brain. So, although you don’t technically “think” with one side of your brain, you do have one side of your brain that is stronger, per say. Although the two halves of the brain are similar, they are responsible for different functions. The left hemisphere carries out mathematical, analytical, and logical process. Conversely, the right hemisphere is responsible for face recognition, space recognition, sense perception, and emotional and artistic functions. This disparity between the two hemispheres is referred to as brain lateralization. Studies of the connection of handedness and brain lateralization began in the late 17th century. French neurosurgeon Paul Broca suggested that, in general terms, a person’s handedness correlates to the specialization of the opposite side of the brain. So, individuals who are right-handed would typically have a more dominant left hemisphere. It is important to note that “handedness” is not a strictly defined term scientifically. Traditionally most people would define it as the hand with which a person writes. Others view handedness as the hand that performs more accurately on manual tasks. The theory that one’s handedness is opposite to the dominant side of one’s brain is widely accepted; still, some studies have refuted this idea in regards to the lateralization of language. The National Center for Scientific Research in France performed a study in which their subjects performed language tests while being assessed by an MRI scan. The results yielded the conclusion that a person’s handedness does not determine their dominant hemisphere for language. Additionally, a study done in Brain, A Journal of Neurology concluded that “left-handedness is neither a precondition nor a necessary consequence of right-hemisphere language dominance.” Still, the study did show that left-handedness increases the chance of a language dominant right hemisphere. To test this theory for myself, I performed small, informal study in which I asked six individuals if they considered themselves more artistic or logical. Of the six participants, two were left-handed and four were right-handed. The results concluded supported the theory that handedness has an opposite relationship with the dominant brain hemisphere. Five of the six individuals believed that they exemplified the qualities of the hemisphere opposite to their handedness. Of course, human error should be accounted for. As this was an informal study, it depends upon the assumption that the participants accurately assessed themselves as either more logical or artistic. Furthermore, the sample pool was not sufficiently small and should be increased to increase the soundness of this finding. Overall, it seems that handedness (at the very least) increases the likelihood of the dominance of the opposite hemisphere.
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