A NEW MAP OF HOW WE THINK: TOP BRAIN / BOTTOM BRAIN

“Forget dated ideas about the left and right hemispheres. New research provides a more nuanced view of the brain”

By: Stephen M. Kosslyn and G. Wayne Miller

Published: October 18, 2013; The Wall Street Journal; www.onlinewsj.com Alternatively, google the title and writer’s name.

Level of Difficulty: ****

BEFORE YOU READ

·         Access the online copy of the article, scroll down and find the link to the quiz: “What kind of thinker are you?”. Do the quiz and discuss the answers if you are doing this with friends or in class.

QUESTIONS

1.       What does “it” refer to in the sentence “Except that it isn’t”?

2.       What is the truth concerning how the brain works?

3.       16 patients allowed the Caltech team to sever their corpus collosums because ……………………..

4.       The growth of the left brain / right brain myth was the result of:

·         Overgeneralization

·         Lack of attention to detail

·         Superficial publicity

·         All of the above

·         None of the above

·         Other: please specify

5.       Read the theory of Cognitive Modes. In what fundamental way does it differ from the left brain / right brain theory?

·         It is based on studies with rhesus monkeys.

·         It is based on detailed scientific research.

·         It focuses on Oprah Winfrey, the Dalai Lama, Tiger Woods and Elizabeth Tailor

·         All of the above

·         None of the above

·         Other: please specify

6.       We understand from the text that the duty of the top brain is to…………………………………while the duty of the bottom brain is to ………………………………………………………………………………………..

7.       In what respect can the brain be compared to a bicycle?

8.       What conclusion can be drawn from the restaurant example?

9.       Oprah Winfrey, the Wright Brothers and Bill Francis Jr. are all classified as mover mode because………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

10.   What general advantage do people who operate in perceiver mode provide for the people they work with?

11.   What seems to be the basic difference between people who operate on mover  mode and those who operate on stimulator mode? What is the reason for this?

12.   Why do people who operate on adaptor mode “form the backbone of an organization, carrying out essential operations” and not people who operate on perceiver mode?

13.   What conclusion can we draw from the paragraph describing the major and her staff?

WRITING TASK: THE FIRST ALTERNATIVE

Refer back to the quiz you did at the beginning and the result. Now refer to the article and your own experience to prove what mode your brain operates in. You are writing an argumentative essay so defend your point of view and refute counter arguments – that you operate in one of the other modes. Have fun and remember your essay should be factually correct as well!

WRITING TASK: THE SECOND ALTERNATIVE

Imagine you are head of human resources for a big multinational which is setting up a subsidiary in a very competitive business hub; let us say Singapore, and you know what mode the applicants operate under. Who would you hire for the sales team, the research department and human resources and why? Justify your answer.

A NEW MAP OF HOW WE THINK: TOP BRAIN / BOTTOM BRAIN KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

This mind blowing text just happens to have lent itself to some tough comprehension questions and an interesting and original writing task, all of which makes me very happy. Those of you out there who are interested in science will find this riveting. If you have the background, you could compare this theory to the left brain / right brain writing task as well.

1.       The left brain / right brain difference

2.       The brain works as a single interactive system, with all parts contributing in concert.

3.       They were seeking relief for their intractable epilepsy

4.       All of the above

5.       The second

6.       Figure out which goals to try to achieve; allow us to confer meaning on the world

7.       With respect to the fact that all the parts work together

8.       Although the top and bottom parts of your brain are always used during all of your waking lives, people do not rely on them to an equal degree; OR: Beyond what is required by a particular situation, all of us can use the top and bottom parts of the brain in optional ways.

9.       They are most comfortable in situations that allow them to plan, act and see the consequences of their actions.

10.   They try to make sense in depth of what they perceive; they interpret their experiences, place them in context and try to understand the implications. They can make sense of events and provide a bigger picture.

11.   The latter fail to register consistently and accurately the consequences of acting on their plans. They don’t update or correct their plans when events unfold in unexpected ways.

The reason: People who operate on mover mode utilize top and bottom brain functions in optional ways but those who operate on stimulator mode utilize the top brain but not the bottom brain.

12.   In case of the perceiver brain, the bottom brain is highly utilized but in the adaptor mode, neither the top brain nor the bottom brain systems are highly utilized.

13.   Individuals who operate in different modes can complement each other to form a successful team.