Comments on: ‘Creative right brain’ myth debunked

By: Matt Gaidica

Matt Gaidica — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 05:51:41 +0000

I think “myth” and “debunked” are a bit strong for the findings in their paper. In fact, it supports hemisphericity, and so does most scientific literature. The confusion appears when we start to decode hemispheric interaction, whether it be inhibitory or excitatory. We don’t say that we have debunked the myth of automobiles by stepping backwards and saying, “aha! the engine and battery work together, they are in fact the same thing!” Popularization and abstraction is a toxic byproduct of society, but we do have two hemispheres, and they are specialized.

By: Nigel Collin - Thinkativity

Nigel Collin - Thinkativity — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:40:11 +0000

Creativity thrives on structure, so this makes absolute sense. Ying and yang. What is more important is out understanding of the role mindset plays in helping us tap into our creativity. Rather than are you left or right, we should be asking (as per Carol Dweck in her book Mindset – well worth a read) are you fixed or growth mindset?

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:05:03 +0000

Never bought this idea. Interesting to see I was right in my caution. By far more interesting than the whole “left-brain/right-brain” thing was the recent publication of images of the cubic grid structures found in brain structure. Better long-term stuff than pseudo scientific and fragile conjecture.

By: s

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:04:39 +0000

Yes its funny that THIS is the “science” debunking that which was “myth” (also “science”)… and the assumption that logic/match plays no role in ‘creativity’ is not anything intelligent/creative/any-kind of person has ever thought (including those who believe in left.right), so of course there is cross-over whereby one side is intimately involved in the workings of the other. It’s not new & this disproves nothing.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 23:59:10 +0000

@Beatriz. You answered your own question, the right brain thing is a “belief” which is no longer supported by the facts, like the belief that the world is flat. And you know what happens when you assume? ass – u – me!

By: Zack

Zack — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 02:07:12 +0000

I knew I should’ve argued that question on my psych. final more…

By: k

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 14:21:56 +0000

Well…..no one region of the brain acts separately. All regions act in tandem. So while the right part alone is not responsible for creativity, it still is the main region with help from other regions .

By: Sebastian Marincolo

Sebastian Marincolo — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 20:03:24 +0000

Interesting study, but the myth that “all creativity exclusively originates in the right hemisphere” doesn’t seem to be very popular idea these days anymore anyway. For a better view on the role of the left and the right hemisphere in thinking see Ian Mc Gilchrist’s “The Master and his Emissary”. And here is something on marijuana and the enhancement of creative thinking + insights:http://sebastianmarincolo.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/marijuana-insights-myth-or-reality/

By: Davide Pintus

Davide Pintus — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:40:19 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbUHxC4wiWk

For anyone intersted in the subject.

By: Fred Stitt

Fred Stitt — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:57:22 +0000

We architects are well known for being cross wired –
actively pursuing analytic/synthetic/aesthetic/technical
chores simultaneously. A high percentage are left handed
not to mention dyslexic. So the sampling taken was
not a “normal” population. I’d still buy the results nonetheless.

By: Editor

Editor — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:54:18 +0000

You’re right. Corrected.

By: gawells

gawells — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:06:37 +0000

“put people into programmed slots where they can be easily manipulated and controlled.”

I wouldn’t count on that.

By: christian

christian — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:58:20 +0000

“I’m not clear why this research is even needed.”

Instead of attacking the feeble popular idea of what the amazing experiment reveals [split brain experiment], we should join forces with those who seek to understand it better [like the people conducting this study].

If you cannot comprehend why research like this is interesting, you have in mind the wrong target [for instance, debunking a stupid myth]. The target you _should_ have in mind concerns the nature of the mind as a whole. How it processes information, how it can be conscious, and so on.

That we can divide the mind in two parts, and see that they can function independently, and tend to function differently,* can bring to light both questions and truths regarding the holistic processing of information in the brain, the nature of consciousness and the nature of personal identity.

A slight difference in the nature of each hemisphere, may, in a split brain patient give rise to two quite different consciousnesses. To me, this seems plausible, and extremely interesting.

*For instance, according to wiki, language production is mainly based in the left brain for 90% of right-handed individuals. There’s also a wide consensus about the fact that lesions to the different hemispheres tend to have different effects/symptoms.

By: Peter Gluck

Peter Gluck — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:40:46 +0000

A very good paper; the right hemisphere is actually the
acceptor of memes.
This is the reason for which the Bisinisencephalians will
save the World- they are immune to all the memes.
see papers with the label BIDINID on my blog Ego Out.
Thanks,
Peter

By: Beatriz Valdes

Beatriz Valdes — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:02:58 +0000

Well I am one of those lagging on the theory of left hemisphere being the critical, cultivated side, and the right the non-language imaginer with visionary potential. I am not sure that just because of one experiment, we should be ready to debunk this long held belief! I read the books of a couple of neurologist researchers, one of them a Nobel Laureate, Dr. Eddelman, and they still work on that assumption.

By: David

David — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:54:53 +0000

The cerebral hemisphere wikipedia page does a good job with a basic explaining of what is going on in the two hemispheres and addresses the pop psychology misinterpretations of hemisphere specific functions:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_hemisphere