Theresa Larson

January 19, 2023

Hemisphere Fact Check
Week 03
Center Your Title Here
Participants
Participant 1: Husband, 65 years old, retired

Participant 2: Daughter, 23 years old, financial service representative

Procedures
I chose participant 1 because he shows signs of being a left-brain personality: analytical and

methodical in his thinking. In contrast I chose participant 2 because she shows signs of being a right

brain personality: disorganized, creative, emotional and good at problem solving. This activity is to

show that people are not totally right brain or left brain but that their two hemispheres work

together.

To recruit my participants, I simple asked them if they would help me with my field report. I

explained that I would be asking them questions but not to worry it wasn’t an intelligence test.

They both agreed so I interviewed each separately in person. Participant 1 sat in his recliner and I

sat opposite him in a chair. Participant 2 sat on the bed and I sat in a chair opposite her. I did not

explain anything more about the interview questions. After each participant answered the

questions, I debriefed them explaining what the activity was for and that I couldn’t tell them

ahead of time because it would have interfered with their responses.

Results

Provide a written description of your findings. Note any patterns. Do not offer opinions, but just

describe your findings. Use the Table below. Remove the existing data and replace it with your

data.

1
Table 1
Direction of initial eye gaze
Participant 1 Participant 2
“Left-personality” “Right-personality”
Direction of gaze Left Right Neither Left Right Neither
Verbal questions 1 4 2 3 4 0
Spatial questions 1 4 2 2 2 3

Discussion

Participant 1

Participant 1 looked to the right 8 times on the verbal and spatial questions while only

looking to the left twice. Four times he looked me in the eye when answering, not choosing either

right or left.

It appears he could be a left-hemisphere-personality yet there were two situations that may

have interfered. One he has epilepsy and light bothers his eyes. There was a light on over the table

that was to his left which may have caused him not to not look that direction. The second is that

half way through he was trying to figure out what I was looking for and he became very intense and

focused on me.

Participant 2

Participant 2 looked right 4 times and left 3 for the verbal questions. While looking right 2

times, left 2 times and neither 3 times for the spatial questions.

While answering participant 2 was relaxed and focused on the questions. From her results

the right-hemisphere-personality does not appear to be true. Her brain seems to use both

hemispheres well.

2
 Implications

The hemispheres of a healthy brain are interconnected and have contralateral control. (D.

Hudson & B. Whisenhunt, n.d.) Therefore I don’t believe the hemisphere theory to be correct. My

findings show that there are other factors (lighting, the ability to relax, even the desire to figure

out what I was doing) that affected the outcome of this activity. All of these other factors prove

that the brain is multifunctional using many different parts at the same time. (D. Hudson, B.

Whisenhunt)

I believe there are multiple reasons this theory is still taught. First, people want to believe

it is true because they are drawn to certain skills or talents. Our mind is powerful and when we

think of ourselves in a specific way, we become that way.

Second, the culture a person grows up in has a direct influence on their desires for these

skills or talents. If a person grows up in an artistic family, they learn to see the world in an artistic

way. If they grow up in a logical family they learn to see the world through logical eyes.

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