Brain which side is creative

After a two-year analysis , they found no proof that this theory is correct. The two hemispheres are tied together by bundles of nerve fibers, creating an information highway. Although the two sides function differently, they work together and complement each other. For example, the left brain is credited with language, but the right brain helps you understand context and tone. The left brain handles mathematical equations, but right brain helps out with comparisons and rough estimates.

The exact areas of some functions can vary a bit from person to person. In addition to thinking exercises, your brain benefits from a good physical workout. Just minutes of aerobic exercise a week can help improve learning and verbal memory. Avoid junk food and be sure to get all the essential nutrients you need through diet or dietary supplements. Read about and listen to the creative ideas of others. You might discover the seed of an idea you can grow, or set your own imagination free.

Try something new. Take up a creative hobby, such as playing an instrument, drawing, or storytelling. A relaxing hobby can help your mind wander to new places. Look within. This can help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and what makes you tick. Why do you gravitate toward certain activities and not others? Keep it fresh. Break your set patterns and go outside your comfort zone.

Immerse yourself in another culture. Even something as creative as music takes time, patience, and practice. The more you practice any new activity, the more your brain adapts to the new information.

Want to boost your creativity? Give adult coloring books a try. For example, many split-brain patients found themselves unable to name objects that were processed by the right side of the brain but were able to name objects that were processed by the left-side of the brain.

Based on this information, Sperry suggested that language was controlled by the left-side of the brain. Generally speaking, the left side of the brain tends to control many aspects of language and logic, while the right side tends to handle spatial information and visual comprehension. Later research has shown that the brain is not nearly as dichotomous as once thought.

For example, research has shown that abilities in subjects such as math are strongest when both halves of the brain work together. Today, neuroscientists know that the two sides of the brain collaborate to perform a broad variety of tasks and that the two hemispheres communicate through the corpus callosum. The left hemisphere specializes in picking out the sounds that form words and working out the syntax of the phrase, for example, but it does not have a monopoly on language processing.

The right hemisphere is more sensitive to the emotional features of language, tuning in to the slow rhythms of speech that carry intonation and stress.

In one study by researchers at the University of Utah, more than 1, participants had their brains analyzed in order to determine if they preferred using one side over the other.

The study revealed that while activity was sometimes higher in certain critical regions, both sides of the brain were essentially equal in their activity on average.

Language tends to be on the left, attention more on the right. It seems to be determined more connection by connection," explained the study's lead author Dr. Jeff Anderson. So what exactly did this theory suggest? According to the left-brain, right-brain dominance theory, the right side of the brain is best at expressive and creative tasks. The left-side of the brain is considered to be adept at tasks that involve logic, language, and analytical thinking.

Unfortunately, many people are likely unaware that the theory is outdated. In fact, the idea seems to have taken on a mind of its own within popular culture. From magazine articles to books to online quizzes, you are bound to see information suggesting that you can unleash the power of your mind if you just discover which side of your brain is stronger or more dominant. Today, students might continue to learn about the theory as a point of historical interest—to understand how our ideas about how the brain works have evolved and changed over time as researchers have learned more about how the brain operates.

While over-generalized and overstated by popular psychology and self-help texts, understanding your strengths and weaknesses in certain areas can help you develop better ways to learn and study. For example, students who have a difficult time following verbal instructions often cited as a right-brain characteristic might benefit from writing down directions and developing better organizational skills.

Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Corballis MC. Left brain, right brain: facts and fantasies. PLoS Biol. Hemispheric division of function is the result of independent probabilistic biases.

Goldie J. The implications of brain lateralisation for modern general practice. Br J Gen Pract. Gazzaniga MS. The split-brain: rooting consciousness in biology. Shen HH. Inner workings: Discovering the split mind. Skeptical neuroscientists have argued that there is not enough evidence to support this idea and that an ability as complex as human creativity must draw on vast swaths of both hemispheres. A new brain-imaging study out of Drexel University's Creativity Research Lab sheds light on this controversy by studying the brain activity of jazz guitarists of varied experience during their improvisations.

The study, published in the journal NeuroImage and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation , shows that creativity is, in fact, driven primarily by the right hemisphere in musicians who are comparatively inexperienced at improvisation.

However, musicians who are highly experienced at improvisation rely primarily on their left hemisphere. This suggests that creativity is a "right-brain ability" when a person deals with an unfamiliar situation but that creativity draws on well-learned, left-hemisphere routines when a person is experienced at the task. This research may contribute to the development of new methods for training people to be creative in their field.

For instance, when a person is an expert, his or her performing is produced primarily by relatively unconscious, automatic processes that are difficult for a person to consciously alter, but easy to disrupt in the attempt, as when self-consciousness causes a person to "choke" or falter.