BRAIN LATERALIZATION AND COGNITIVE COMPETENCIES ON HEMISPHERES OF THE BRAIN

I.

Brain Lateralization

The human brain is a paired organ; it is composed of two halves (called cerebral hemispheres) that look pretty much alike.

The term brain lateralization refers to the fact that the two halves of the human brain are not exactly alike. Each hemisphere has functional specializations: some function whose neural mechanisms are localized primarily in one half of the brain.

The two halves ("hemispheres") are joined by the corpus collosum. This is a bundle of more than 200 million nerve fibers which transmit data from one hemisphere to the other so that the two halves can communicate. The corpus collosum is up to 40 percent larger in women than it is in men.

We can specify the functions of the two hemispheres. (The following descriptions apply to right-handed people; for left-handed people, this information is reversed; for example, it is the right hemisphere which processes analytical thought.)

1. The left hemisphere specializes in analytical thought. The left hemisphere deals with hard facts: abstractions, structure, discipline and rules, time sequences, mathematics, categorizing, logic and rationality and deductive reasoning, knowledge, details, definitions, planning and goals, words (written and spoken and heard), productivity and

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efficiency, science and technology, stability, extraversion, physical activity, and the right side of the body. The left hemisphere is emphasized in our educational system and in our society in general, for better or for worse; as Marshall McLuhan speculated, "The day when bureaucracy becomes right hemisphere will be utopia." 2. The right hemisphere specializes in the "softer" aspects of life. This includes intuition, feelings and sensitivity, emotions, daydreaming and visualizing, creativity (including art and music), color, spatial awareness, first impressions, rhythm, spontaneity and impulsiveness, the physical senses, risk-taking, flexibility and variety, learning by experience, relationships, mysticism, play and sports, introversion, humor, motor skills, the left side of the body, and a holistic way of perception that recognizes patterns and similarities and then synthesizes those elements into new forms.

We need to develop both hemispheres. This is necessary because some tasks require the left hemisphere primarily, and others predominantly call on the right hemisphere. Our brain dominance stays the same -- a right-hemisphere person does not change into a left-hemisphere person -- but we can develop the skills of the other half, so that that half will be more effective when we need to use it. II. Lateralization of Function Theory

The lateralization theory -- developed by Nobel-prize-winners Roger Sperry and Robert Ornstein -- helps us to understand our behavior, our personality, our creativity, and our ability to use the proper mode of thinking when performing particular tasks. In humans, the most obvious functional

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specialization is speech and language abilities. In the mid-1800s, Paul Broca (a French neurosurgeon) identified a particular area of the left hemisphere that plays a primary role in speech production. Shortly afterwards, a German neurologist, Carl Wernicke, identified another part of the left hemisphere primarily concerned with language comprehension.

III.

Cognitive Competencies on Hemispheres of the Brain

Cognitive abilities are the brain-based skills we need to carry out any task from the simplest to the most complex. They have more to do with the mechanisms of how we learn, remember, problem-solve, and pay attention rather than with any actual knowledge. Any task can be broken down into the different cognitive skills or functions needed to complete that task successfully.

Cognitive Ability/Brain Function Perception

Skills involved

Recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli (smell, touch, hearing, etc.) Attention Ability to sustain concentration on a particular object, action, or thought. Ability to manage competing demands in our environment. Short-term/ working memory (limited storage). Long-term memory (unlimited storage). Ability to mobilize our muscles and bodies. Ability to manipulate objects. Skills allowing us to translate sounds into words and generate verbal output.

Memory

Motor

Language

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Visual and Spatial Processing

Ability to process incoming visual stimuli. Ability to understand spatial relationship between objects. Ability to visualize images and scenarios

Executive Functions

Abilities that enable goal-oriented behavior, such as the ability to plan, and execute a goal. These include: Flexibility: the capacity for quickly switching to the appropriate mental mode. Theory of mind: insight into other peoples inner world, their plans, their likes and dislikes. Anticipation: prediction based on pattern recognition. Problem-solving: defining the problem in the right way to then generate solutions and pick the right one. Decision making: the ability to make decisions based on problemsolving, on incomplete information and on emotions (ours and others). Working Memory: the capacity to hold and manipulate information on-line in real time. Emotional self-regulation: the ability to identify and manage ones own emotions for good performance. Sequencing: the ability to break down complex actions into manageable units and prioritize them in the right order. Inhibition: the ability to withstand distraction, and internal urges.