Cerebral Dominance and Learning

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Cerebral Dominance and Learning Much has been studied about cerebral dominance throughout the years. It is widely accepted that people can determine which side of their brain they use more based on how creative or analytical they are. This usually translates into figuring out how an individual most effectively learns new information. More recent information has come to light and it has changed the way many think about cerebral dominance and how it pertains to learning. The theory of cerebral dominance can be rooted back to the 1800’s but in 1940, a medical procedure called corpus callosotomy greatly changed what we understood about brain function. In an article by Asadi-Pooya et al. (2008), it is explained that the corpus callosotomy is a treatment for a wide variety of seizures experienced by epileptics. The procedure, when broken down, basically cuts off communication between each brain hemisphere by severing the corpus callosum (p. 271). According to Asadi-Pooya et al. (2008), “The corpus callosum (CC) is a large bundle of mostly myelinated and some nonmyelinated fibers, the great white commissure, that cross the longitudinal cerebral fissure and interconnect the hemispheres” (p. 271). In other words, the CC is what connects the left and right side of your brain together. Asadi-Pooya et al., further explain that the CC’s main function is to allow communication between the left and right brain hemispheres. Severing the CC and performing a corpus callosotomy has led to both favorable and adver... ... middle of paper ... ... particular area, whether it be arithmetic or music, the more that person will use both hemispheres of his or her brain (Jenson, 2005, p. 14). The way we learn and our personalities have more to do with our personal preference than it does with which side of our brain is more dominant (Jenson, 2005, p. 14). Either side does control specific functions more than the other but there is no conclusive evidence that individuals use one hemisphere more than the other. The evidence actually supports the contrary (Nielsen et al., 2013). The most recent studies indicate that the learning tactics we have developed in accordance with each person’s cerebral dominance may have just been developed towards our individual personalities and preferences.

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