Hemispheric preferences associated with thinking styles in Kerala undergraduates

An observational survey of 400 undergraduate students in Malappuram district, Kerala, India, found that brain-hemisphere preference was associated with differences in specific thinking and learning characteristics, although the two groups did not differ significantly in overall learning style. Using the SOLAT test, researchers classified 248 students as right-hemisphere-preferring and 144 as left-hemisphere-preferring. Right-hemisphere-preferring students obtained higher overall thinking-style scores, with a moderate effect size, while most students in both groups displayed moderate levels of learning and thinking styles.

The study used a descriptive survey design to identify students’ hemispheric preferences, assess their learning and thinking styles, and compare the results across preference groups and individual components. The researchers applied descriptive statistics, including percentages, means and standard deviations, alongside independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Welch analysis of variance, Tukey HSD and Games-Howell post hoc tests. Effect sizes were evaluated with Cohen’s d, η² and ω². Because the design was observational, the results show associations rather than establishing that hemispheric preference caused the observed differences.

Students with a left-hemisphere preference tended to favor structured, sequential and verbal learning approaches. Students with a right-hemisphere preference showed greater inclinations toward interactive, creative and imaginative learning and thinking. Creativity and imaginative thinking emerged as especially salient components among the right-hemisphere-preferring group. These component-level differences occurred even though the groups showed no significant difference in overall learning style. The measured effect sizes ranged from small to moderate, indicating that the reported associations were meaningful but did not amount to a deterministic division between sharply separated cognitive types.

Overall thinking-style scores differed significantly between the hemispheric-preference groups, with the right-hemisphere-preferring students scoring higher and the comparison accompanied by a moderate effect size. The authors characterized hemispheric preference as having a nuanced, component-specific relationship with learning and thinking rather than operating as a rigid functional divide. Their findings therefore support an interpretation of hemispheric preference as a reflection of relative cognitive tendencies operating alongside integrative and overlapping cognitive processes. The survey does not show that students with a particular preference will always learn or think in a certain way, nor does it establish that one form of learning is superior to another.

The study’s scope was limited to 400 undergraduates in Malappuram district, and its descriptive design does not establish causal relationships or long-term educational outcomes. Within that scope, the results provide evidence of a complex association: students with different hemispheric preferences reported distinct patterns in several learning and thinking components, but retained broadly similar overall learning-style profiles. The authors said the findings support balanced and inclusive pedagogical approaches in higher education that address diverse cognitive orientations, including structured, sequential, verbal, interactive, creative and imaginative approaches.

Subject of Research: Associations between hemispheric preference and learning and thinking styles among undergraduates in Kerala, India

Article Title: Cognitive preferences and hemispheric preference: an analysis of learning and thinking styles among undergraduate students

Article References: P.C., J., Miglani, S., Panigrahi, A. R., Pawar, A., Patel, J., & Pany, S. (2026). Cognitive preferences and hemispheric preference: an analysis of learning and thinking styles among undergraduate students. BMC Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05429-x

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-05429-x

Keywords: hemispheric preference, learning styles, thinking styles, undergraduate students, cognitive psychology, creativity, imaginative thinking, SOLAT, observational survey, India, Cognitive, preferences