The Psychology of Left Brain - Right Brain: Science Explained

A deep dive into the psychological science behind Left Brain - Right Brain — what research says.

The human brain includes two hemispheres connected by a bundle of nerves. The left hemisphere controls movement for the right side of the body, while the right hemisphere directs the left side. The hemispheres specialize in distinct mental functions—different aspects of visual perception, for example—but most behaviors and abilities require activity in both halves of the brain.

“Left-Brained” and “Right-Brained” People

A widespread myth suggests that some people, whose left hemisphere is dominant overall, are more quantitative, logical, and analytical, while right-brained individuals are more emotional, intuitive, and creative. Like many ways of categorizing people, the left brain/right brain dichotomy is appealing , promising to teach individuals about how they think and why. But the reality of hemispheric specialization is much more complex than this popular concept suggests.

No. While the brain’s left and right hemispheres do handle distinct functions , their duties aren’t strictly divided according to broad categories like “logical” or “creative.” People can't be split neatly into groups with special strengths based on one hemisphere being more dominant.

The “left-brained” type has been described as logical, analytical, and detail-oriented, while “right-brained” people have been characterized as creative and intuitive—though other supposed traits have been attributed to each. (In any case, the "left-brained" and "right-brained" types are not scientifically supported .)

The concept of “left-brained” and “right-brained” individuals appears to stem from research in the 1960s on “split-brain” patients, whose corpus callosum (the bridge between hemispheres) had been separated. The research revealed that patients responded in different ways to stimuli such as images, depending on which brain hemisphere perceived them.

Explore More About Left Brain - Right Brain

For a comprehensive understanding of left brain - right brain, read our complete guide:

Complete Left Brain - Right Brain Guide

Bringwise

Turn psychology into daily habits

5 minutes a day. Science-backed insights you can actually use.

Download Free