INFORMATION PROCESSING (Cognitive/Individual Differences)
Right/Left Dichotomy – “Two Different Types of Intelligence”
Consider the potential of the human mind – Einstein, Mozart, Freud,
Gandhi
Hemisphericity – “an
individual’s greater reliance on one cognitive style of processing over
another, with either the left hemisphere’s prepositional-analytic mode of
thought dominating or the right hemisphere’s appositional-holistic type.”
(Bogen 1969a, 1975) (Iaccino, 40) It is simply false to say that original thinking is
soley a product of right-brain creativity” (p. 279) in truth an integrated or
“whole-brain style” is most effective. Einstein
for instance had a brain that was very
lateralized as to which types of functions occurred where, and he used this for
his advantage flowing back and forth from rational logic to intuitive
inspirations. Therefore the best thing
we can do as information professionals is to help people “draw at will on the
processing style appropriate to the situation.” The hope of this short segment is that “a new
understanding of these two modes of thought can dramatically increase our
abilities by helping us to fit the approach to the task.” (p. 23)
Left
Logical
Sequential processing
Rational
Analyzes
Objective
Part
Verbal
Convergent
Temporal
(Positive)
Field Independent (Who said this?)
Activities – logical thinking, analysis, accuracy, speaking,
writing, calculation, reading, timing
Learning Style – lectures, seminars
Western Thought
Right
Random
Intuitive - Simultaneous/Gestalt/Multiple
Holistic
Synthesizes
Subjective - Emotional
Wholes
Visuospatial - Nonverbal
Divergent
“Artistic”
(Negative)
Field Dependent (Again, who said this?)
Activities – aesthetics, feeling, creativity, faces, spaces,
mazes, timbre
Learning styles – laboratory, field experience (tactile,
kinesthetic, and auditory)
Eastern Thought
ACCESSING ISP
Figure out where client is in the ISP & encourage the side you see
lacking. For instance, if the person
has read widely and taken copious notes on a thousand topics, it is likely that
their left brain function needs to kick in to help them narrow their focus and
remember the objective that includes a time-line. On the other hand if someone comes in and presents a well-thought
out verbal explanation of what they are trying to do, consider asking them
questions to illuminate first where they are in the process, how much time they
have and then if it seems appropriate ask whether they have considered
alternative sources that might help them explore the topic in a more holistic
fashion. Sometimes Information
Professionals encourage people to narrow & focus too soon which is really
short circuiting people’s exploration or the right brain activity of
brainstorming. Instead if the patron
has time encourage reading broadly, reflecting, and listing topic-related
ideas, before narrowing the focus. How
much time one has is very important because more time is needed for creative
thought and unique contributions in thinking.
The goal is effective thinking –
Stages of Creativity (G. Wallas, “The art of thought,” 1945)
1)
Preparation –
collecting relevant information, narrowing the problem until the obstacles are
visible
2)
Incubation
3)
Illumination
4)
Verification four step
Oftentimes however in the rush to finish an assignment incubation/illumination
are forsaken.
RIGHT BRAIN – LEFT BRAIN THINKING REACTS TAXONOMY MODEL
Specifically when one looks at the REACTS model
Move toward higher cognitive tasks of “Transforming” and “Synthesizing”
(REACTS model) by encouraging the left brain to let go of its usual functioning
with sequential, logical, analytic tasks These are effective in the first four
REACTS levels, yet not in the 5th and 6th level which
require in 5 “Integrating & concluding tasks” where one draws conclusions
and creates a personal perspective based on information obtained and 6
“Conceptualizing tasks” where one creates original solutions to problems posed.
For right-brainers encourage basic task definition and the first four
REACTS MODEL cognitive tasks recalling, explaining, analyzing, challenging.
General Principles for whole-brain creativity or thinking
Converse in such a way to enliven the cognitive, affective, and
intuitive domains Modify Language so that when speaking to a more
right brain individual use more imagery, actions, non-verbal queues to get full
synergy of right/left brains
Have alternate forms of questions, What steps have you taken to meet your information needs? vs.
Describe your information journey so far?
If can’t explain say show me what you’ve done so far, perhaps they have
a brainstorming page or the assignment
Give people time to speak
and encourage them to relax, take a break to ignite creativity through letting
go a bit
Alternative formats to books
For right brain individuals videos, audio cassettes, and visual books
Can help students more efficiently if you have strengths where they are
weak, music vs. history for instance – Know methodology/theoretical paradigm
for a discipline
Be aware of the two levels of a reference interview – what is heard (left-brain interaction with words)
vs. what is read (right-brain interaction with feelings, tone, expression, body
language)
Encourage Left Brain Encourage Right Brain
Right Brain – Finding a topic
Activities to develop creativity of fluency are:
1)
producing alternative
explanations
2)
producing alternative
consequences
3)
producing alternative
solutions
4)
In general consider
activities which include future problem solving and scenario writing
Left Brain – gathering data
Bloom’s taxonomy (1964) along with more traditional teaching methods
that focus on Reading, Writing, & Arithmetic encourage logical, sequential
thinking and problem solving.
“A geometric interpretation of process specificity is proposed – namely, that each hemisphere represents the other and the world in complementary mappings: the left mapping the self as a subset of the world and the right mapping the world as a subset of the self” (Bogen, 27)
SOLAT – Style of Learning
& Thinking (Torrance, Reynolds, Ball – 1977) assesses whether someone is
more right, left or integrated in their learning style
Right Brain / Left Brain – Submitted by Jana Borchardt
The concept of the physical brain having two hemispheres with specialized functions began with Roger Sperry’s experiments with split-brain patients in the 1960s. However, the dualistic concept of human cognition delineated as logical, sequential, and verbal (left brain) versus visual, creative, and emotional (right brain) has been around to a certain degree since the Greeks. In the fourth century BC Diocles of Carystus stated that there was a right side that perceives and a left side that understands. (Ornstein, 44) The reality of the brain’s functioning is not so easily circumscribed; as Sperry’s pupil Michael Gazzaniga concludes “there are not two, but actually hundreds of independent, specialized modules of thinking in the brain that all vie for control of behavior in a kind of competitive fee-for-all.” (Blakeslee, 1996, vi) Nonetheless, scientific experiments have shown specialized functions that typically occur on one or the other side of the brain.[1]
For information professionals, practical applications of hemispheric dominance revolve around accessing a client’s learning style strengths as related to hemispheric preference as well as accessing where the individual is in the search process. Since individuals are trying to fill in gaps to their knowledge, it seems likely their gap is partly a result of their lack of cognitive skills in one hemisphere or another. The goal however is not just knowledge itself, but the utilization of this knowledge in a creative, life-changing way. Accordingly, Wallas (1945) proposes that the creative process requires preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification. While Wallas’ outer stages prominently require the often-taught[2] left brain functions of analysis, critique, and logic, the stages in the middle, require the right brain’s intuitive, visual, and affective perspective, which are oftentimes dismissed in ones hurry to reach a deadline. Through proper questioning and insightful guidance the information professional can discern what stage the client is at in their search, what weaknesses the client has in their thought process, and how a client’s own cognitive right and left brain skills can be activated to solve the immediate information need, as well as encourage more creative search habits in the future. Original or creative thinking has generally been perceived as a right brain function, yet according to E.P. Torrance and other leading scholars the integrated or whole-brain approach is most effective. The information professional can help maximize each client’s potential by helping both the logician and intuitor enhance and stretch their less dominant hemisphere.
Blakeslee, T.R., (1980) The right brain. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
Blakeslee, T.R., (1996) Beyond the conscious mind: unlocking the secrets of the self.
New York: Plenum Press.
Connors, D. Michael Gazzaniga (neuroscientist) Interview. Omni, October 1993 v.16n.1
p.99-105.
Ornstein, R. (1997) The right mind: making sense of the hemispheres. New York:
Harcourt, Brace, and Company.
McDonald B.D. and D. Hucheson. To spark creative side of brain, employ the other,
logical side. Atlanta Business Chronical, Jan 24, 1997 v.19 n.34 p1C(2).
Rehbein, E. Discovering the power of the right brain. Total Health (October 1990). V. 12
n. 5 pt 12(2).
Torrance, E.P. and Z. L. Rockenstein. “Styles of thinking and creativity.” In Learning strategies
and learning styles. Schmeck, R. R.., ed. (1988) New York: Plenum Press, 275-290.
Wallas, G., (1926) The art of thought. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company.
Key findings of neuroscience The brain has a "triune" structure. Our brain is really three brains -- the lower or "reptilian" brain that controls basic sensory motor functions; the "mammalian" or "limbic" brian that controls emotions, memory and biorhythms; and the "neocortex" or "thinking" brain that controls cognition, reasoning, language and higher intelligences.