INTP's: Left or Right brained?

[Philosophyking87]

We all know something about the idea of left/right brained preferences.
I wonder if INTP's tend to be one or the other.
Why do you think we have a preference, if we do?

Also, if you're INTJ, or know someone who is INTJ, I'd also be interested in knowing if INTJ's tend be more right or left brained. Or, if you engage with an INTJ often, do you feel as though they are too left-brained?

 

[Wish]

I think INTPs are generally right-brained, or at least, a random sample of x number of INTPs will have more right-brainers than a random sample of x number of the general populous.

Unfortunately, my only evidence for this is that (as has been determined in previous threads) there seems to be about 30-40% of INTPs polled that were left-handed/ambidextrous as compared to the ~10% in the general public... and this is assuming that left-handedness tends towards right-brainedness..

EDIT: How do you expect us to answer this poll of yours? Look at the spinning ballerina?

 

[Philosophyking87]

EDIT: How do you expect us to answer this poll of yours? Look at the spinning ballerina?

Lol, the spinning ballerina isn't a bad idea.

But, here's a nice free test with information at the end: http://www.wherecreativitygoestoschool.com/vancouver/left_right/rb_test.htm (and posting the results is optional). =p

Here's what I got:

Left Brain: 38% Right Brain: 62%

Your Left Brain Percentages
34% Reality-based (Your most dominant characteristic)
30% Logical
27% Linear
27% Verbal
25% Symbolic
14% Sequential (Your least dominant characteristic)

Your Right Brain Percentages
56% Random (Your most dominant characteristic)
53% Intuitive
40% Fantasy-oriented
37% Concrete
30% Holistic
25% Nonverbal (Your least dominant characteristic)

While I'm 'somewhat' left-brained, I tend to be more trustworthy of my intuition and creativity, rather than deductive, step-by-step logical reasoning.

 

[Wish]

40/60

 

[EyeSeeCold]

My headaches are always on the right...

 

[Mello]

Whole-Brained!

 

[TheHmmmm]

INTJ, primarily left-brained.

 

[terraxceles]

I only know one INTJ, and I would consider him primarily left-brained. I don't think he's too left-brained though; he has his right-brain moments, especially when he's paranoid, he becomes very cynical and momentarily rejects logic altogether in favor of his intuition.

In terms of communication, it only gets in the way when I need to explain something to him, as a right-brain dominant. He prefers ideas to be short and concise and presented to him verbally whereas I can't seem to make a point unless I have to draw it out on paper and ramble on for a while.

 

[mickyj300x]

Well, I got rather inconclusive results:
Left Brain: 49%

Right Brain: 51%
So I'm going to go with the Whole-brained option.

 

[Words]

INTP and primarily left brained methinks.

 

[Philosophyking87]

Damn, I forgot to put 50/50 (Balanced) option.

 

[KazeCraven]

I almost always score even on these tests, if that's what you're asking.

I don't think they are a measure of 'brain-dominance' though.

 

[Razare]

I am centrist brained according to what I have read about the INFJ personality, and according to what testing I have done. Apparently Ni resides in the Cingulate Gyrus, which is dead center in the brain, having equal portions in the left and right.

 

[ememisya]

Interesting Although I think the test is pulling out some "deeep" assumptions out of its ass, it's generally in the right area.

I do tend to switch depending on what job I hold. Doing crap load of math and proofs, I'll end up being left dominant. Doing flash animations and programming, I do right brain. Use'm as I need'em :P




Left: 42% Right: 58%

Your Left Brain Percentages
42% Symbolic (Your most dominant characteristic)
34% Logical
34% Verbal
27% Reality-based
18% Sequential
16% Linear (Your least dominant characteristic)

Your Right Brain Percentages
48% Holistic (Your most dominant characteristic)
46% Concrete
44% Fantasy-oriented
39% Random
34% Intuitive
7% Nonverbal (Your least dominant characteristic)

 

[s0nystyle]

54% Left Brained
46% Right

I didn't vote because i feel that i'm closer to "whole brained" than leaning to one or the other side of the brain.

 

[Minuend]

Not that I find these reliable but:

Left Brain: 41%
Right brain: 59%


Your Left Brain Percentages
50% Logical (Your most dominant characteristic)
27% Reality-based
25% Symbolic
22% Linear
9% Sequential
7% Verbal (Your least dominant characteristic)

Your Right Brain Percentages
46% Concrete (Your most dominant characteristic)
44% Fantasy-oriented
38% Nonverbal
34% Random
24% Intuitive
18% Holistic (Your least dominant characteristic)

When I take such tests, I usually end up in the middle.

When processing information, at times you are able to go with your "gut" instincts. At other times you may doubt your instincts, or prefer to put information together piece by piece to form your conclusion. You should be careful not to ignore your intuition, but at the same time do not solely rely on it.

My Forer sense is tingling

 

[The Frood]

57% right
47% left

Your Left Brain Percentages
42% Symbolic (Your most dominant characteristic) 27% Reality-based 25% Logical 20% Verbal 18% Sequential 16% Linear (Your least dominant characteristic)
Your Right Brain Percentages
36% Holistic (Your most dominant characteristic) 34% Intuitive 32% Nonverbal 29% Fantasy-oriented 28% Concrete 23% Random (Your least dominant characteristic)

 

[giaduck]

I did the test and my results were *almost* equal. I got 43 Left/57 Right...so I guess right brained in that sense if you want to take it in black and white.


Your Left Brain Percentages

43% Linear (Your most dominant characteristic)
34% Verbal
31% Sequential
27% Reality-based
17% Symbolic
17% Logical (Your least dominant characteristic)

Your Right Brain Percentages

57% Nonverbal (Your most dominant characteristic)
45% Random
39% Intuitive
36% Fantasy-oriented
19% Concrete
18% Holistic (Your least dominant characteristic)

 

[Farion]

I put left brained, took the test, and it says I'm 48/52 right brained. I tend to think I am right brain dominant after reading the results of the test (particularly the sequential processing and holistic processing).

I would think that INTJ's are generally left brain dominant (to an extreme degree) while INTP's are generally right brain dominant (to a less extreme degree).

Coincidentally, I don't know if I'm INTJ or INTP, though I lean towards INTP.

Essentially, I am inconclusive

 

[Dormouse]

Left Brain56% Right Brain44%

Your Left Brain Percentages
53%Linear (Your most dominant characteristic)
50%Symbolic
40%Reality-based
38%Logical
34%Verbal
9%Sequential (Your least dominant characteristic)

Your Right Brain Percentages
46%Concrete (Your most dominant characteristic)
36%Fantasy-oriented
32%Nonverbal
24%Holistic
23%Random
20%Intuitive (Your least dominant characteristic)

 

[Deridaburi]

Left Brain:
46%
Right Brain:
54%

 

[Moocow]

Se/Ni is definitely "left brained" somehow. My ISTP brother requires the most linear, step-by-step logic to understand anything and always asks for logical examples. He is always caught up in the details of what he's trying to understand...
Ne/Si appears to be "right brained" in that it looks at entire networks of ideas at a time, looking in the past and future as well to understand a present concept.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Se/Ni is definitely "left brained" somehow. My ISTP brother requires the most linear, step-by-step logic to understand anything and always asks for logical examples. He is always caught up in the details of what he's trying to understand...
Ne/Si appears to be "right brained" in that it looks at entire networks of ideas at a time, looking in the past and future as well to understand a present concept.

I agree, and then I think Ti, may be the right side or it may be neutral somehow. It might be somewhere in the front.

 

[dark]

40/60 Left/Right

Your Left Brain Percentages
42% Symbolic (Your most dominant characteristic)
42% Logical
20% Reality-based
18% Sequential
16% Linear
7% Verbal (Your least dominant characteristic)

Your Right Brain Percentages
64% Concrete (Your most dominant characteristic)
50% Random
44% Fantasy-oriented
32% Nonverbal
24% Holistic
15% Intuitive (Your least dominant characteristic)

I think I connect with the thing it said, can't see the forest because of the trees, that is true.

 

[Anchorite]

39/61
I didn't think I would be that right-brained

 

[Glordag]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't more recent studies showing that the whole "left-brained/right-brained" thing isn't quite as simple as people were making it out to be?

Edit: Took the quiz.

Spoiler

Left Brain Right Brain 45% 55%

Spoiler

Your Left Brain Percentages
55% Logical (Your most dominant characteristic) 32% Linear 14% Sequential 14% Verbal 7% Reality-based 0% Symbolic (Your least dominant characteristic)
Your Right Brain Percentages
46% Concrete (Your most dominant characteristic) 32% Fantasy-oriented 30% Holistic 25% Nonverbal 24% Intuitive 17% Random (Your least dominant characteristic)

Edit 2: Apparently, I'm pretty boring ): .

 

[Moocow]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't more recent studies showing that the whole "left-brained/right-brained" thing isn't quite as simple as people were making it out to be?

Edit: Took the quiz.

Spoiler

Left Brain Right Brain 45% 55%

Spoiler

Your Left Brain Percentages
55% Logical (Your most dominant characteristic) 32% Linear 14% Sequential 14% Verbal 7% Reality-based 0% Symbolic (Your least dominant characteristic)
Your Right Brain Percentages
46% Concrete (Your most dominant characteristic) 32% Fantasy-oriented 30% Holistic 25% Nonverbal 24% Intuitive 17% Random (Your least dominant characteristic)

Edit 2: Apparently, I'm pretty boring ): .

Yes, it's much more complex. We're always using both halves of our brains for just about everything.
However the left hemisphere does the talking, as there does seem to be a language center in the left temporal cortex, but not in the right. Although some people, especially left-handed people, have some slight linguistic function in the right.

I have a theory that our brains are structured in such a way that the right hemisphere is the "destroyer," the source of intuition and holistic thought, which breaks ideas down by connecting them.
The left hemisphere is the "creator" and processes the cognitive "sensing" functions. I say creator because sensing largely involves distinguishing one thing from another, or focus on a detail or a part rather than the whole. Language is a tool for sensing, in a way, because it provides labels to identify parts of a whole, as well as a linear means of processing them as ideas. It makes sense then that our language center would be on the furthest left side (the temporal cortex)!

I have no factual support for this theory though. It's just an idea.

 

[Cam]

I took a test in my Psyc lab and got 50/50. I didnt check the aim of the expirament till afterwards so it was quite strange.

 

[DetachedRetina]

It seems like left=ST and right=NF

It's like trying to ask a bunch of INTPs if they're more ST or more NF

 

[MissQuote]

Left Brain Right Brain
43% 57%

Your Left Brain Percentages

50% Logical (Your most dominant characteristic)
42% Symbolic
32% Linear
14% Sequential
14% Reality-based
7% Verbal (Your least dominant characteristic)

Your Right Brain Percentages

45% Random (Your most dominant characteristic)
44% Nonverbal
40% Fantasy-oriented
28% Concrete
24% Holistic
24% Intuitive (Your least dominant characteristic)

I really had no idea how to answer a good portion of the questions, like the hypnotism one for example.

 

[booksandcats]

I took a test once and it said it was about equal. That explains why I can't get anything done: the halves of my brain are constantly fighting.

 

[xbox]

I think INTPs are generally right-brained,

I dont know about that. Some INTPs dislike right brainey stuff.

 

[GYX_Kid]

I remember apparently being generally equal between the two, but having a slight preference for right.

Somewhere thinks that TP is a balance between left and right, and that TJ is all the way left. So maybe it thinks FP would be all the way right, and FJ also balanced.

I'd say ISTJ seems very left-brained, and ENFP very right-brained

reminds me of that other thread now...

 

[xbox]

^^^ Man.. what you said. I totally agree. *bows down*

 

[GYX_Kid]

Left brain is everything cold, evil and "logical"
Right brain is everything creative, empathic and "intuitive"

INTP is the best of both worlds?

 

[xbox]

Yeah.. I think thats also why TP interests/hobbies span both areas.

 

[snafupants]

I have taken three tests, and each result showed an exact balance between brain hemispheres.

 

[Howitzer]

Isn't the whole left brain right brain thing nonsense?

 

[snafupants]

Isn't the whole left brain right brain thing nonsense?

Pretty much. Apparently the genesis was reports on spurious psychological findings and overwrought ablation studies in the seventies. The motivation for this exaggeration seems to be a combination of sensational media and commercial exploitation. I wanted to leave bubbles intact though.

 

[GYX_Kid]

I took a test once and it said it was about equal. That explains why I can't get anything done: the halves of my brain are constantly fighting.

Gotta be aware of both sides, know each, and know when to switch.
Massive potential with both options, also massive potential for extreme trip-ups.

 

[gries]

My percentages seem to be lower than the percentages of other people. Not sure what could mean. Maybe a reason is that I took the answers "some" and "occasionally" much more often than the other two answers. Or maybe my brain just is not developed very well. The result seems very strange. If I had to I would have ordered the categories in a different way.

Left Brain 48% Right Brain 52%
Your Left Brain Percentages
34% Reality-based (Your most dominant characteristic)
27% Sequential
21% Logical
11% Linear
9% Symbolic
7% Verbal (Your least dominant characteristic)

Your Right Brain Percentages
30% Holistic (Your most dominant characteristic)
29% Fantasy-oriented
23% Random
19% Concrete
10% Intuitive
7% Nonverbal (Your least dominant characteristic)

 

[Raquelio]

Your Left Brain Percentages

47% Verbal (Your most dominant characteristic)
38% Logical
34% Reality-based
25% Symbolic
22% Linear
18% Sequential (Your least dominant characteristic)
Your Right Brain Percentages

57% Fantasy-oriented (Your most dominant characteristic)
56% Random
37% Concrete
30% Holistic
25% Nonverbal
20% Intuitive (Your least dominant characteristic)

Not sure if this is good or bad...

 

[nedenom]

Damn, I forgot to put 50/50 (Balanced) option.

That was my first thought when I saw this poll, and would be my answer. Instinctively I think INTPs would be quite balanced, both logical (Ti, left) and creative (Ne, right).