BRAIN DOMINANCE AND THE INTERPRETATION OF ADVERTISING MESSAGES

The study of left brain/right brain effects in the human brain has been the subject of research and discussion for many years. It is generally believed that the right and left hemispheres of the brain perform different functions. The left hemisphere is better at such tasks as reading, speaking, analytical reasoning, and arithmetic. The right hemisphere is better at spatial tasks, recognizing faces, and music. Research on this phenomenon can be of particular value to the advertising industry. A number of studies have examined the impact of an advertising message on left‐ and right‐brain dominant persons. This paper reports the results of a study conducted to investigate the effects of “informational” versus “visual” appeals used in print advertisements on left‐ and right‐brain dominant individuals. The results reveal that the evaluation of the effectiveness of an advertisement is dependent upon both the appeals used and the brain dominance orientation of the respondent.