As Charlie reads his science textbook, he encounters the word ecology for the first time and uses the context to figure out what the word means. Given what we know about how the brain functions, we could reasonably assume that:
A) He is thinking primarily in his right hemisphere.
B) Many parts of his brain are involved in this task.
C) Most of his mental "work" is done in his midbrain.
D) Most of his mental "work" is done in the occipital lobes, at the back of his brain.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Understanding and inferring the meaning of a new word like "ecology" from context involves multiple cognitive processes, including language comprehension, memory recall, and contextual reasoning. These processes are distributed across various parts of the brain, including the language areas (Broca's and Wernicke's areas), the prefrontal cortex (for reasoning and decision-making), and the hippocampus (for memory). Therefore, it's not limited to a single hemisphere or a specific part of the brain.

As Charlie Reads His Science Textbook, He Encounters the Word