The Hemispheres of

the Brain
Some facts about those
Hemispheres
O The right brain controls the left part of
the body.
O The left brain controls the right part of
the body.
O They are separated by a groove called
the medial longitudinal fissure.
O They are connected by a structure called
the corpus callosum.

Dont worry, this is just sheep brain. No humans were harmed
in the taking of this picture.
The Left Brain-Right Brain
Theory
O Each side of the brain controls different
types of thinking.
O Left-Brain thinkers are said to be more
logical, analytical, and objective.
O While Right-Brain thinkers are said to be
more intuitive, thoughtful, and
subjective.
O In Psychology, this is known as the
lateralization of brain function.

However
O The theory isnt COMPLETELY true.
O Although some functions do occur on just one
side, creativity and logic arent one of them.
O In fact, both hemispheres contribute to these
processes.
O Its just that, one hemisphere may contribute
more than the other in a particular process.
O Its more of a specialty sort of thing.
Handedness
O It is said that right-brained people are
left-handed and vice versa.
O Although 95% of right-handed people
have left-hemisphere dominance for
language,
O only 18.8% of left-handed people have
right-hemisphere dominance for
language.
O For over 150 years, many researchers
have been trying to figure out this
correlation between handedness and
brain lateralization. They are still trying.
The left brain specializes in?
O Language
(remember names,
words, talking)
O Logic
O Rationality
O More on the
grammar part of
language.
The right?
O Non language
(remember faces,
experience sounds)
O Metaphor (intuitive
thought to solve
problems)
O Emotional
O More on the
intonation and stress
part of language.
Its absolutely true that some brain
functions occur in one or the other
side of the brain. Language tends to
be on the left, attention more on
the right. But people dont tend to
have a stronger left- or right-sided
brain network. It seems to be
determined more connection by
connection. - Dr. Jeff Anderson
How was this lateralization
proved?
O Pierre Paul Broca, a French Physician, studied
a patient nicknamed Tan who was only able
to say a selective set of words including the
word Tan, hence the nickname.
O After Tan died, it was discovered that he had
a severe problem in the left part of his brain.
It was soon found out that that portion was
taking care of speech production. This is now
known as Brocas area.