Which half of the brain to engage?

Want to be a reliable eyewitness? Close your right eye. Tunneling your vision through your left eye only will give you a better chance of accurately remembering the details.

According to an April 2008 study reported in the British newspaper, The Times, it?s all about the hemispheres of the brain. The left side deals in logic, the right side deals in emotions.

This is something we?ve all probably covered in a psychology class along the way, but have you reconsidered the possibilities of this? You can put this natural process to work for you where it really counts:

1. Deliver your knock-knocks from the left to get a laugh. The research showed that the right side of the brain typically processes punch lines. So if you don?t get a laugh the first time, step to the other side and try again.

2. Express love or anger without drama: If you?re serious about what you want to say, spill it into their left ear. They say this will direct your sentiments straight to the receiver?s right brain. There is no guarantee that it will sink in quickly or at all (I don?t know who you?re dealing with after all), but it will shorten the trip to get your words where they need to go. Especially helpful, they noted, if you?re proposing marriage, expressing anger or talking religion.

3. Be the best telemarketer you can be. One of the most illogical parts of this study of logic found that telephone salespeople who wore an earpiece in their left ear outsold those who wore one on the right. They couldn?t really explain the results (logically), but theorized that the left-eared telemarketers used more logic in their sales pitches while the right-eared ones developed a more ?intuitive? connection with their customers.

I think I?m too right-brained to grasp that logic. But that might be something to bring up with the next telemarketer that calls during dinner.

4. Get your tickle on. If you?re going to tickle someone, do it right. (Not left.)

The Times report listed a final test with the following four questions (some specifics in wording were altered slightly from the British version). Ask a friend the following four questions and watch their gaze as they answer.

1. Name a state that borders Utah.

2. Name three synonyms for ?walking.?

3. What direction does Lincoln face on the penny?

4. Name three synonyms for ?intelligence.?

During questions 1 and 3 (spatial) people will typically look to the left when considering the answers. On questions 2 and 4 (language-related) they will look to the right. These ?eye movements are thought to be a consequence of the two sides of our brains processing different information.?

Try it on someone?it worked on my guinea pig.

For a right brained/left brained test, log onto: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFV6h6MXQkI&feature=related”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFV6h6MXQkI&feature=related

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