Abstract
The purpose of the study reported here is to examine the right/left cerebral hemisphere relationships between writing in the extensive mode and writing in the reflexive mode. Preliminary findings suggest that writing which is focused on communicating information already familiar and formulated by the writer, characteristics of extensive composing, is accompanied by greater relative engagement of the left cerebral hemisphere as indicated by lower relative EEG amplitude ratios measured from electrodes placed symmetrically over the left and right temporal areas. Writing which is focused upon discovering meanings, which is tentative and exploratory - characteristics of reflexive composing - is accompanied by greater relative engagement of the right cerebral hemisphere. Traditional instruction has failed because it is “half-brained,” addressing only one of these modes of composing.
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