Briefly explain the development of the brain in the context of the left and right hemispheres.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. We often hear people described as being "right-brained" or "left-brained." The notion is that the hemispheres of the brain are involved in different kinds of intellectual and emotional activities. Research does suggest that in right-handed individuals, the left hemisphere is relatively more involved in intellectual undertakings that require logical analysis and problem-solving, language, and computation (Scull, 2010). The other hemisphere (the right hemisphere) is usually superior in visual-spatial functions (such as piecing puzzles together), aesthetic and emotional responses, and understanding metaphors.But it is not true that some children are left-brained and others are right-brained. The functions of the left and right hemispheres overlap, and the hemispheres respond simultaneously when we focus on one thing or another (Franklin, 2013). They are aided in "cooperation" by the myelination of the corpus callosum, a thick bundle of nerve fibers that connects the hemispheres (Luders et al., 2010). This process is largely complete by the age of eight, enabling the integration of logical and emotional functioning.