You've probably seen the ads. A spinning dancer. A colorful graphic. A simple 10-question quiz that promises to unlock the secrets of your soul. "Are you a logical, math-driven powerhouse or a creative, free-spirited artist?" honestly, the left brained or right brain test is one of the most persistent cultural tropes of the last fifty years. It’s everywhere. We use it in job interviews, school classrooms, and dating profiles.
But there is a bit of a problem. It's mostly wrong.
✨ Don't miss: Why Resistance Band Face Pulls Are The Only Shoulder Move You Actually Need
That doesn't mean the tests are useless, though. They just don't do what they claim to do. People love labels. We crave the ability to put our messy, chaotic personalities into a neat little box. "Oh, I'm just a right-brain person," you say when you lose your keys for the third time this week. It feels good. It’s an excuse. It’s a tribe.
The Science of Lateralization vs. The Myth of Dominance
We have to talk about Roger Sperry. Back in the 1960s, Sperry performed "split-brain" surgeries on patients with severe epilepsy. He cut the corpus callosum—the thick bundle of fibers connecting the two halves of the brain. He won a Nobel Prize for this because he discovered that the two hemispheres do specialize in certain tasks.
For instance, in most people, the left side handles the heavy lifting for language production and logical sequencing. The right side is generally better at spatial recognition and interpreting emotional tone in a voice.
This is called lateralization. It is a real biological fact.
However, the leap from "the left side processes grammar" to "left-brained people are cold and analytical" is a massive, unscientific jump. A study led by neuroscientist Jeff Anderson at the University of Utah in 2013 looked at the brain scans of over 1,000 people. They looked at 7,000 different regions of the brain. The result? No evidence whatsoever that individuals have a "stronger" left or right side.
Your brain is a high-speed network. It’s not two separate computers sitting in a skull; it's one system where the left and right sides are constantly "talking" to each other. When you solve a math problem, your right brain is active. When you write a poem, your left brain is processing the syntax. You aren't one or the other. You are both.
Why the Left Brained or Right Brain Test Still Trends
If the science is bunk, why do we still search for it?
Because it’s a personality proxy. When you take a left brained or right brain test, you aren't measuring your neurons. You’re measuring your preferences. If you answer that you like spreadsheets and schedules, the test tells you that you're "left-brained." It’s basically a repackaged Myers-Briggs or a more "sciency" version of a horoscope.
🔗 Read more: Is Harrelson's Own Legal? What Most People Get Wrong
We love the binary. Humans hate ambiguity. We want to be told who we are because self-reflection is hard, but clicking "A" or "B" on a website is easy. These tests provide a shorthand for communication. If I tell a coworker I’m "right-brained," they immediately understand I’m probably going to be the one brainstorming the visuals for the presentation rather than auditing the budget.
It’s a social tool, not a medical one.
The Problem with the Labels
The danger here is self-limiting beliefs. Think about a kid who takes a left brained or right brain test in middle school and gets told they are "right-brained." Suddenly, they decide they "aren't a math person." They stop trying in algebra. They lean into the label like a crutch.
This is what psychologists call a fixed mindset.
- The "Logical" Left: Supposedly analytical, objective, and good with numbers.
- The "Creative" Right: Supposedly intuitive, thoughtful, and subjective.
The reality is that the best mathematicians are incredibly creative. They have to imagine complex structures that don't exist. The best artists are incredibly analytical. They have to understand anatomy, light physics, and the chemistry of pigments. By separating these traits, we do a disservice to how the human mind actually works.
Real Brain Specialization: What Actually Happens?
So, if you aren't "left-brained," what is actually going on up there?
The brain is plastic. It changes based on what you do. If you practice the violin for ten hours a day, the parts of your brain responsible for finger dexterity and auditory processing will physically grow. It doesn't matter if you were "born" a certain way.
Language is the most famous example of lateralization. For about 95% of right-handed people, the left hemisphere is dominant for language. But for lefties? It's more of a mix. Some use their right side, and some use both. This proves that "dominance" isn't a hard-coded rule for everyone.
Modern Neuroimaging and Connectivity
We now use fMRI scans to see the brain in real-time. What we’ve learned is that "connectivity" is the real metric of intelligence and creativity. It's about how well the different parts of your brain communicate.
Stephen Kosslyn, a former professor at Harvard, proposed a different model: the Theory of Top-Brain/Bottom-Brain. He suggests the real split is between the top part of the brain (which handles planning and goals) and the bottom part (which classifies and interprets information). It hasn't caught on as much as the left/right myth because it’s harder to turn into a catchy internet quiz.
💡 You might also like: Cómo eliminar el hígado graso rápido: Lo que realmente funciona y lo que es puro marketing
How to Use These Tests Without Getting Fooled
Don't delete your quiz results just yet. There is actually a way to use a left brained or right brain test for personal growth, as long as you don't take the "science" part literally.
Treat the results as a reflection of your current habits. If a test says you are 80% left-brained, don't think "I was born this way." Think "I have spent a lot of time lately focusing on linear tasks and logic."
It’s a snapshot of your comfort zone.
If you feel like you are "stuck" in one mode, you can actually train the other side. Want to be more "right-brained"? Take up an improvisational hobby where you can't plan the outcome. Want to be more "left-brained"? Start a habit of tracking your expenses or learning a basic coding language.
The brain is a muscle. Use it or lose it.
The Industry of Personality Testing
There is big money in these tests. Companies spend millions on "assessment tools" to figure out where to put employees. While most reputable firms use more robust models like the Big Five (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism), the left/right myth persists because it's easy to market.
It’s "snackable" psychology.
But if you are a manager, be careful. Using a left brained or right brain test to decide who gets a promotion is about as effective as checking their zodiac sign. You want a "whole-brained" team. You want people who can cross the aisle between data and intuition.
Practical Steps to Move Beyond the Myth
Stop looking for a test to tell you who you are. Instead, look at your output.
First, identify your cognitive biases. If you think you are "analytical," you might be ignoring your intuition when it’s actually trying to tell you something important. Force yourself to look at problems from the opposite angle. If you’re stuck on a math problem, go for a walk and let your mind wander (the "right brain" approach). If you’re struggling with a creative project, sit down and create a rigid schedule or a checklist (the "left brain" approach).
Second, challenge the "I'm not good at..." narrative. The "left vs. right" myth gives us an easy out. "I'm not good at art because I'm left-brained." That’s a lie. You’re not good at art because you haven't practiced.
Third, focus on integration. The most successful people—the Da Vincis and the Einsteins—didn't choose a side. Einstein famously said that his discoveries came from "combinatory play." He used visual imagery (right brain) to solve physics equations (left brain).
How to Actually Improve Brain Function
Instead of worrying about which side is "dominant," focus on general brain health. This is what actually moves the needle on your cognitive performance.
- Sleep: This is when your brain flushes out toxins and consolidates memories. No amount of "left-brain logic" can save you from a sleep-deprived fog.
- Novelty: Doing new things forces your brain to build new pathways. If you’re a CPA, take a pottery class. If you’re a painter, learn how to do your own taxes.
- Physical Exercise: This increases Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which acts like fertilizer for your neurons.
Ultimately, the left brained or right brain test is a fun diversion. It's a conversation starter. But don't let a 60-second internet quiz define your potential. You have a whole brain—use all of it.
The next time you see a spinning dancer or a quiz asking if you prefer circles or squares, take it for fun. Enjoy the result. But remember that your brain is far more complex, beautiful, and interconnected than a binary result could ever capture. You aren't a side of the brain. You are the whole thing.
Next Steps for Better Cognitive Balance:
- Audit your daily tasks to see if you are leaning too heavily on "logical" or "creative" routines.
- Intentionally engage in one "cross-training" activity this week—something that feels outside your "dominant" side.
- Replace the phrase "I'm not wired that way" with "I haven't developed that skill yet."
- Read Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards; while the science is dated, the exercises are fantastic for teaching you how to shift your perception and see things differently.