JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT
1982, Volume 2, No. 2
Dominance and Emotionality
Robert J. Doman, Jr.
The final stage in developing neurological
organization-neurological efficiency is the establishment
of cortical hemispheric dominance. Cortical hemisphere dominance
refers to the establishment of a controlling hemisphere of
the brain, separation of, or specialization of neurological
function. This separation of function is possible when dominance
has been achieved.
Dominance, that factor which permits
cortical specialization, exists at such time as when the individual
has a dominant hand, eye, ear, and foot which are all on the
same side. Specifically the right handed individual need also
be right eyed, eared, and footed, the left handed individual
left eyed, eared, and footed.
Much has been written in the last
few years relative to the specific functions of the dominant
and subdominant hemispheres, the dominant hemisphere being
that which is on the opposite side of the dominant hand, eye,
ear, and foot. The person with right sided dominance has a
dominant left hemisphere, the person with left sided dominance,
a dominant right hemisphere.
One very significant function, relative
to learning which has not been mentioned in most of the literature,
is emotionality. As is music (it is not difficult to see the
correlation between music and emotionality) emotionality is
a subdominant hemisphere function.
Emotionality in the neurologically
organized individual is controlled, it being subdominant.
One of the problems associated with neurological dysorganization
is the lack of laterality-dominance, lack of separation, and
specifically relative to emotionality, lack of control of
emotionality. In the dysorganized individual subdominant tends
to control dominant, as opposed to the appropriate dominant
control or balance. This lack of control is significant for
all individuals with neurological dysorganization. The dysorganized
child with a "learning disability" often is excessively
emotional, becomes upset easily, is difficult to calm once
having become upset, and tends to become anxious-emotional
in a learning situation. Functioning subdominantly-emotionally
the child cannot take in, or put out information efficiently.
Most everyone has experienced the frustration of being nervous
about an exam and being unable to recall specific information
until after the tests have been collected, and it's too late.
For the dysorganized child this problem is greatly magnified.
The solution is the elimination of the neurological dysorganization,
but while such dysorganization exists, we can only put information
in or get it out when the child is relaxed, confident, and
functioning dominantly.
Dysorganized adults often (mental
institutions are full or people who can not) learn to cope,
by creating conscious controls of emotionality. They develop
screens between themselves and others, and often appear to
be non-emotional because they have learned that they can either
fight off emotion, or become virtually engulfed by their emotionality.
These individuals are forced to live their lives limiting
emotionality and protecting themselves.
We have learned to accept our inefficiencies,
spending our lives with the pressures of attempting to cope
with our problems, when solutions are available. Thousand
of hours are spent in academic remediation, counseling, analyses,
and thousands of dollars on medications to help us cope with
neurological inefficiencies which are easily eliminated if
we address and treat the cause.
An understanding of the relationship
between neurological dysorganization, dominance, and emotionality
can dramatically improve any aspects of our lives, as well
as those of our children.
Reprinted from the Journal
of the National
Academy for Child Development
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