The left hemisphere's role in hypothesis formation
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G Wolford1, M B Miller, M Gazzaniga
1Psychology Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA. george.wolford@dartmouth.edu
Abstract:
In a probability guessing experiment, subjects try to guess which of two events will occur next. Humans tend to match the frequency of previous occurrences in their guesses. Animals other than humans tend to maximize or always choose the option that has occurred the most frequently in the past. Investigators have argued that frequency matching results from the attempt of humans to find patterns in sequences of events even when told the sequences are random. There is independent evidence that the left hemisphere of humans houses a cognitive mechanism that tries to make sense of past occurrences. We performed a probability guessing experiment with two split-brain patients and found that they approximated frequency matching in their left hemispheres and approached maximizing in their right hemispheres. We obtained a conceptual replication of that finding on patients with unilateral damage to either the left or right hemisphere. We conclude that the neural processes responsible for searching for patterns in events are housed in the left hemisphere.
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Related Concept Videos
01:28Lateralization
01:05Cerebral Hemispheres
01:14What is a Hypothesis?
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
01:11Types of Hypothesis Testing
When the null and alternative hypotheses are stated, it is observed that the null hypothesis is a neutral statement against which the alternative hypothesis is tested. The alternative hypothesis is a claim that instead has a certain direction. If the null hypothesis claims that p = 0.5, the alternative hypothesis would be an opposing statement to this and can be put either p > 0.5, p < 0.5, or p ≠ 0.5.
01:16Null and Alternative Hypotheses
The null hypothesis, denoted by H0 is a statement of no difference between the variables—they are not related. This can often be considered the status quo. As a result if you cannot accept the null, it requires some action.
The alternative hypothesis, denoted by H1 or Ha, is a claim about the population that is...