Right brain/Left brain P versus J

[Haphazard]

I've been reading all over that this Lenore Thompson person says that P types are right-brain dominant and J types are left-brain dominant. It seems like it would make sense because Js display things mostly linearly and Ps display things mostly holistically but it seems like it would be a lot more complicated than that.

This also doesn't jive with the theory that most people are right-brained, except for being linguistically left-brained (thus explaining why many people prefer the right side of their body to be dominant, because the left-brain is therefore less busy than the right brain and more able to accomodate physical tasks). I don't remember exactly where I heard this theory, but I remember it.

I'm curious what everyone else here makes of it.

[nozflubber]

Actually I believe it's the other way: most people test as left-brained on many intelligence tests that demonstrate hemisphere preference. However, this could be a bias of intelligence tests in general to look for left-sided ability, or a legitimate difference in the population.

As for this relating to type preference ..... meh, who knows. I'm trying to get away from MBTI so i dont even want to entertain the idea right now :/

[nightwatcher]

Originally Posted by Haphazard

I've been reading all over that this Lenore Thompson person says that P types are right-brain dominant and J types are left-brain dominant. It seems like it would make sense because Js display things mostly linearly and Ps display things mostly holistically but it seems like it would be a lot more complicated than that.

This also doesn't jive with the theory that most people are right-brained, except for being linguistically left-brained (thus explaining why many people prefer the right side of their body to be dominant, because the left-brain is therefore less busy than the right brain and more able to accomodate physical tasks). I don't remember exactly where I heard this theory, but I remember it.

I'm curious what everyone else here makes of it.

First, most people are left, not right brain dominant. Each cerebral hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body, which is why most people are right-handed. This corresponds to the J over P population dominance (about 60/40). Obviously, Js have more left-brain personalities and Ps appear more right-brained.

Lenore Thompson tries to back up her theory of the J type functions (including Ni) being located on the left side of the brain and the P functions on the right side with PET scan research.

I believe that generally this is correct. You’ll find a higher percentrage of left-handed people, visual artists and mechanics who are P dominant. However, you’ll find a lot of exceptions as well. No one fits perfectly into any type theory. Someone here has a great signature, a quote by Jung that reads "every person is an exception to the rule". No one should ever be "typed" without that in mind.

My own idea is that SJs are the most purely left brain, NJs a mix of the two, and Ps more purely right brain. And you can always have someone who’s dominant on one side, yet has exceptional ability in one or more areas in the other side; eg, an SJ who can draw or has high mechanical aptitude, and the many gifted P writers.

[nozflubber]

^ the problem with that is that intelligence and ability tests are divergent from personality constructs; they are NOT the same thing. You can't fully "test for J-ness" by having someone read a poem or write down the instructions of things you check before driving an automobile and look at the resulting brain imaging scans - you're testing cognitive abilities, not cognitive preferences. I haven't seen research able to adequately make the two distinct.

Ergo it's not reasonable to assume that J's are left-brained or anything else at this point

[Kyrielle]

I doubt that personality type determines brain hemisphere preferences. I think it in part is influenced by the following:

How someone is born
How someone was raised
What interests the person and what their talents are
What they do every single day that mentally stimulates them

It seems to me that most people are born with a tendency to one side, but that can change in degrees as they grow up. But I really don't think it has to do with MBTI type. They might correlate from time to time...but I've seen plenty of INTPs on INTPc who are left-brained and just as many who are right-brained. For that matter, I'm right-brained and I'm sure there are a few INFJs here that are left-brained. If anything at all related to MBTI, I would say that brain hemisphere preference is partially responsible for the different types within types.