No. Which hand or ear you prefer when using a phone does not identify you as a “left-brain” or “right-brain” personality type. The brain does have functions that tend to be more strongly associated with one hemisphere, but that is different from dividing people into two overall personality categories. The phone research most relevant to this question examined which ear people used for calls—not typing, scrolling, app choices, or phone-platform preference.
What “left brain” and “right brain” really mean
Some brain functions show lateralization: they are more strongly associated with one hemisphere than the other. The National Institute of Mental Health describes left-biased language and motor-control regions, as well as right-biased visual and spatial attention regions. These are functional tendencies, not evidence that one hemisphere governs a person’s whole character.
In a review of the popular idea, Michael C. Corballis distinguishes genuine brain asymmetry from claims that people have complementary “left-brain” and “right-brain” personality types. He writes: “Polarities of left and right brain are broadly invoked in art, business, education, literary theory, and culture, but owe more to the power of myth than to the scientific evidence.” (PLOS Biology)
What the phone-preference study actually found
The closest direct evidence is a 2013 survey by Seidman, Siegel, Shah, and Bowyer, published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery. It asked about the ear respondents used for cell-phone calls. Researchers sent questionnaires to 5,000 people and received 717 responses, a 14% response rate. The results were self-reported survey findings, not current population-wide estimates. (Study abstract)
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| Finding in the 2013 survey | What it describes |
|---|---|
| 68% of right-handed respondents reported using the right ear for calls. | Call-ear preference among right-handed respondents. |
| 72% of left-handed respondents reported using the left ear for calls. | Call-ear preference among left-handed respondents. |
| 73% (486 of 668 respondents; 95% confidence interval, 69%–76%; P<.001) used the ear on the same side as their dominant hand, after excluding respondents with no ear preference. | The authors’ analysis of the relationship between dominant-hand side and call-ear side. |
The percentages show an association in that survey: respondents often reported using the ear on the same side as their dominant hand. They do not show that hand preference caused ear preference, that the brain chose the ear, or that the pattern can diagnose an individual’s brain lateralization.
Why call-ear preference does not reveal a brain “type”
The survey assessed handedness with a modified questionnaire; it did not directly measure language or auditory dominance. The authors discussed possible influences including hearing differences, auditory dominance, motor preference, convenience, and keeping one hand free, but the survey did not isolate which factors explained respondents’ choices.
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- Participants reported hearing differences, but researchers did not conduct audiometric tests.
- The authors noted uneven participant demographics.
- Bluetooth and headphone use were not accounted for.
- A 14% response rate means the findings describe respondents, not necessarily everyone invited or phone users generally.
For those reasons, a call-ear preference cannot establish whether someone is more logical, creative, or governed by one hemisphere. Nor does the survey address broader smartphone habits such as which hand someone uses to type or scroll, what apps they choose, or whether they prefer a particular phone platform.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What you can reasonably take from your own phone habits
If you tend to hold calls to one ear or use your phone with one hand, that is a usage preference. The 2013 findings make a relationship between handedness and call-ear choice plausible at the sample level, but they do not explain any one person’s choice. Convenience, hearing, and the practical need to keep a hand free are among the factors the study’s authors raised; no single cause was established.
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