APA Dictionary of Psychology

the hypothesis that the right cerebral hemisphere of the brain is a conscious system in its own right, even though it typically has a minor role in spoken communication (compare left-hemisphere consciousness). The right hemisphere is postulated to function in a holistic, nonlinear manner, specialized for spatial and suprasegmental (prosodic) perception. The hypothesis arose from Roger Sperry’s work with split-brain patients in the 1960s and was widely popularized. Modern research is generally much more cautious in assigning specific independent functions to either side of the intact brain.