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From self-help books to popular television shows, you've probably at least heard of right brain vs. left brain dominance. According to this theory, each side of the brain controls different types of thinking. Additionally, people are said to prefer one type of thinking over the other. A person who is "left-brained" is said to be more logical, analytical and objective, while a person who is "right-brained" is said to be more intuitive, thoughtful and subjective.
The right brain-left brain theory grew out of the work of Roger W. Sperry, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1981. Later research has shown that the brain is not nearly as dichotomous as once thought. For example, recent research has shown that abilities in subjects such as math are actually strongest when both halves of the brain work together.
While often overgeneralized and overstated by popular psychology and self-help texts, understanding your typical behavior can help you develop better ways to learn and study. For example, students who have a difficult time following verbal instructions (often cited as a right-brain characteristic) can benefit from writing down directions and developing better organizational skills.
About.com's Guide to Homework Help, Grace Fleming, has created a fun quiz to help you determine your "brain type" and improve your study habits and academic skills. Take the right brain-left brain quiz to learn more.
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The Results Are In!You can use these results to help you identify the best ways for you to study effectively. Be sure to find more ways to evaluate your own personality and study skills. It will pay off!
You are a left brain dominant student!
You probably like some order in your life and in the classroom. You are comfortable listening to lectures and taking most test types, but you might be uncomfortable with open-ended essay assignments that require you to imagine scenarios. You want class directions to be clear. A disorganized teacher or unclear assignments will drive you crazy! You are good at analyzing problems to find the right answer. You may have considered pursuing a degree in science or math. You don't like mushy love movies. You might be a Jeopardy champ one day, not because you're smarter than right brain students, but because you are able to answer questions quickly.
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I am more like the following
Do you get bored when teachers lecture too much? Do you feel like you can size up people easily by watching them? If so, you may be right-brain dominant.
Characteristics of Right-Brain Students
- You take notes but lose them. You may have a hard time keeping track of your research
- You might have a hard time making up your mind
- You are good with people
- You don't fall for practical jokes as easily as some
- You seem dreamy, but you're really deep in thought
- People may have told you you're psychic
- You like to write fiction, draw, or play music
- You might be athletic
- You like mystery stories
- You take time to ponder and you think there are two sides to every story
- You may lose track of time
- You are spontaneous
- You’re fun and witty
- You may find it hard to follow verbal directions
- You are unpredictable
- You get lost
- You are emotional
- You don't like reading directions
- You may listen to music while studying
- You read lying down
- You may be interested in “the unexplained”
- You are philosophical
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