Why 93% of People Believe These Harmful Brain Myths

Here is something worth sitting with: 93% of ordinary people, 76% of teachers, and even 78% of people with neuroscience training all believe the same false claim about how you learn best. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that "neuromyths," misconceptions about brain research, are not just common. They persist even among people who should know better (Macdonald et al., 2017).

The Problem Is Bigger Than You Think

Researchers at the University of Houston and Harvard Medical School surveyed 3,877 Americans across three groups: the general public, professional educators, and individuals with high neuroscience exposure (Macdonald et al., 2017). The general public endorsed 68% of the myths on average. Educators did better, but still endorsed 56%. Even the neuroscience group endorsed 46%, nearly half.

That matters. If the people responsible for teaching your children, designing your workplace training, or advising you on learning strategies hold these misconceptions, the consequences are real. School districts spend limited budgets on "brain-based" programmes that have no scientific backing. Children with dyslexia go unidentified because teachers look for the wrong signs. Students sit through lessons designed around a theory of learning that has never been proven (Macdonald et al., 2017).

Where Do These Myths Come From?

Brain myths don't come from nowhere. Many start as a grain of truth, then travel from a research paper to a media headline to a teacher training programme, losing accuracy at every step (Macdonald et al., 2017). The OECD defined a neuromyth in 2002 as "a misconception generated by a misunderstanding, a misreading, or a misquoting of facts scientifically established (by brain research) to make a case for the use of brain research in education or other contexts" (OECD, 2002, as cited in Macdonald et al., 2017).

Take the idea that people are either "left-brained" or "right-brained." Neuroscience does show that some skills, like language, tend to favour one hemisphere. But the leap from that finding to "you are a right-brained creative" is not supported by the evidence (Macdonald et al., 2017). The same pattern appears with the sugar-and-hyperactivity myth, the 10% brain myth, and the dyslexia-and-letter-reversals myth. Each one started with something real, then got oversimplified.

What makes these myths sticky is also what makes them dangerous: brain-based explanations feel convincing. Research shows that people judge arguments as more logical when they contain neuroscience language, even when that neuroscience is irrelevant to the argument (McCabe & Castel, 2008, as cited in Macdonald et al., 2017).

Why Experts Still Get It Wrong

The study found something counterintuitive: among educators, those who knew more about the brain were more likely to endorse myths (Macdonald et al., 2017). One explanation is that people who are curious about the brain seek out more information, but that information often comes from popular media rather than peer-reviewed research. People who read scientific journals endorsed significantly fewer myths.

The strongest predictors of getting brain questions right were holding a graduate degree, completing multiple neuroscience courses, and reading peer-reviewed journals (Macdonald et al., 2017). Still, even with all three boxes ticked, myths persisted. That tells you these beliefs are deeply embedded, not just a sign of ignorance. The clustering of myths also matters: people who believe one tend to believe others, meaning these misconceptions don't travel alone (Macdonald et al., 2017).

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Take the Quiz

Before reading the answers, try the full 32-item brain survey used in the study (Macdonald et al., 2017). Mark each statement True or False. No googling.

#	Statement
1	We use our brains 24 hours a day
2	It is best for children to learn their native language before a second language is learned
3	Boys have bigger brains than girls, on average
4	If students do not drink sufficient amounts of water, their brains shrink
5	When a brain region is damaged, other parts of the brain can take up its function
6	We only use 10% of our brain
7	The left and right hemispheres of the brain work together
8	Some of us are "left-brained" and some are "right-brained," and this helps explain differences in how we learn
9	The brains of boys and girls develop at different rates
10	Brain development has finished by the time children reach puberty
11	There are specific periods in childhood after which certain things can no longer be learned
12	Information is stored in the brain in networks of cells distributed throughout the brain
13	Learning is due to the addition of new cells to the brain
14	Individuals learn better when they receive information in their preferred learning style (e.g., auditory, visual, kinesthetic)
15	Learning occurs through changes to the connections between brain cells
16	Academic achievement can be negatively impacted by skipping breakfast
17	A common sign of dyslexia is seeing letters backwards
18	Normal development of the human brain involves the birth and death of brain cells
19	Mental capacity is genetic and cannot be changed by the environment or experience
20	Vigorous exercise can improve mental function
21	Children must be exposed to an enriched environment from birth to three years or they will lose learning capacities permanently
22	Children are less attentive after consuming sugary drinks and/or snacks
23	Circadian rhythms ("body clock") shift during adolescence, causing students to be tired during the first lessons of the school day
24	Exercises that rehearse coordination of motor-perception skills can improve literacy skills
25	Extended rehearsal of some mental processes can change the structure and function of some parts of the brain
26	Children have learning styles that are dominated by particular senses (i.e., seeing, hearing, touch)
27	Learning problems associated with developmental differences in brain function cannot be improved by education
28	Production of new connections in the brain can continue into old age
29	Short bouts of motor coordination exercises can improve integration of left and right hemisphere brain function
30	There are specific periods in childhood when it's easier to learn certain things
31	When we sleep, the brain shuts down
32	Listening to classical music increases children's reasoning ability

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Answers

How did you do? The table below shows the correct answers from the study. Items marked ⚠️ are the seven "classic" neuromyths that clustered together statistically (Macdonald et al., 2017). People who believe one of these tend to believe the others.

#	Statement	Answer
1	We use our brains 24 hours a day	True
2	It is best for children to learn their native language before a second language is learned	False
3	Boys have bigger brains than girls, on average	True
4	If students do not drink sufficient amounts of water, their brains shrink	False
5	When a brain region is damaged, other parts of the brain can take up its function	True
6	We only use 10% of our brain	False ⚠️
7	The left and right hemispheres of the brain work together	True
8	Some of us are "left-brained" and some are "right-brained," and this helps explain differences in how we learn	False ⚠️
9	The brains of boys and girls develop at different rates	True
10	Brain development has finished by the time children reach puberty	False
11	There are specific periods in childhood after which certain things can no longer be learned	False
12	Information is stored in the brain in networks of cells distributed throughout the brain	True
13	Learning is due to the addition of new cells to the brain	False
14	Individuals learn better when they receive information in their preferred learning style (e.g., auditory, visual, kinesthetic)	False ⚠️
15	Learning occurs through changes to the connections between brain cells	True
16	Academic achievement can be negatively impacted by skipping breakfast	True
17	A common sign of dyslexia is seeing letters backwards	False ⚠️
18	Normal development of the human brain involves the birth and death of brain cells	True
19	Mental capacity is genetic and cannot be changed by the environment or experience	False
20	Vigorous exercise can improve mental function	True
21	Children must be exposed to an enriched environment from birth to three years or they will lose learning capacities permanently	False
22	Children are less attentive after consuming sugary drinks and/or snacks	False ⚠️
23	Circadian rhythms ("body clock") shift during adolescence, causing students to be tired during the first lessons of the school day	True
24	Exercises that rehearse coordination of motor-perception skills can improve literacy skills	False
25	Extended rehearsal of some mental processes can change the structure and function of some parts of the brain	True
26	Children have learning styles that are dominated by particular senses (i.e., seeing, hearing, touch)	False ⚠️
27	Learning problems associated with developmental differences in brain function cannot be improved by education	False
28	Production of new connections in the brain can continue into old age	True
29	Short bouts of motor coordination exercises can improve integration of left and right hemisphere brain function	False
30	There are specific periods in childhood when it's easier to learn certain things	True
31	When we sleep, the brain shuts down	False
32	Listening to classical music increases children's reasoning ability	False ⚠️

⚠️ = one of the 7 "classic" neuromyths. Adapted from Macdonald et al. (2017), which was itself adapted from Dekker et al. (2012).

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The 7 Classic Myths Up Close

The researchers identified items 6, 8, 14, 17, 22, 26, and 32 as classic neuromyths because they clustered together: believe one, and you probably believe the others (Macdonald et al., 2017). Here is what the evidence actually shows for each one.

Learning styles, items 14 and 26. These were the two most commonly missed items in the survey, with 93% of the general public and 76% of educators getting them wrong (Macdonald et al., 2017). A meta-analysis by Pashler et al. (2008) reviewed rigorous studies testing learning styles theories and found no sufficient evidence that matching instruction to a student's preferred modality improves outcomes. The catch? Teachers who naturally present content through multiple modalities are often doing something genuinely effective. They're just wrong about why it works (Macdonald et al., 2017).

Dyslexia and letter reversals, item 17. Seventy-six percent of the general public and 59% of educators got this one wrong (Macdonald et al., 2017). The core deficit in dyslexia is phonological, not visual. Children who reverse letters do so for many reasons, and letter reversal is common in typically developing children during early literacy acquisition. Believing this myth can delay identification and deny children access to effective, phonologically based support (Macdonald et al., 2017).

The 10% brain myth, item 6. This is the most dramatic myth but also the easiest to correct. We use virtually all of our brain, just not all at once (Macdonald et al., 2017). Encouragingly, 64% of the general public got this one right, the best performance on any of the seven classic myths.

Right-brain vs. left-brain learners, item 8. Some cognitive skills do show hemispheric lateralisation, language being the most cited example. But that finding doesn't translate into a person being fundamentally "right-brained" or "left-brained" (Macdonald et al., 2017). Sixty-four percent of the general public, 49% of educators, and 32% of the neuroscience group endorsed this myth.

Sugar and attention, item 22. About 59% of the general public and 50% of educators believed that sugary snacks reduce children's attention (Macdonald et al., 2017). Controlled studies do not support this claim. The belief likely persists because adults expect to see hyperactivity and interpret energetic behaviour as confirmation of what they already believe.

The Mozart effect, item 32. Listening to classical music does not permanently raise a child's reasoning ability (Macdonald et al., 2017). This myth proved stubborn across all groups: 59% of the general public, 55% of educators, and 43% of the neuroscience group endorsed it.

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Summary

The goal here isn't to make you feel bad for believing any of these. The people who designed your teacher training, wrote your parenting books, and ran your workplace learning sessions likely believe some of them too. What the research makes clear is that knowing which claims have evidence behind them changes how you make decisions about education, both for yourself and for the people you teach or raise (Macdonald et al., 2017).

Reading peer-reviewed research was the single strongest predictor of getting these questions right among educators (Macdonald et al., 2017). You don't need a neuroscience degree. You need to be curious about the source of the claims you're hearing and willing to follow the evidence rather than the headline. The myths that matter most aren't the dramatic ones like the 10% brain claim. They're the quiet ones that shape what happens in classrooms every day: how teachers spot reading difficulties, how they structure lessons, and how they interpret a child's behaviour after lunch.

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References

Dekker, S., Lee, N. C., Howard-Jones, P., & Jolles, J. (2012). Neuromyths in education: Prevalence and predictors of misconceptions among teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 429. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00429

Macdonald, K., Germine, L., Anderson, A., Christodoulou, J., & McGrath, L. M. (2017). Dispelling the myth: Training in education or neuroscience decreases but does not eliminate beliefs in neuromyths. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1314. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01314

McCabe, D. P., & Castel, A. D. (2008). Seeing is believing: The effect of brain images on judgments of scientific reasoning. Cognition, 107(1), 343–352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2007.07.017

OECD. (2002). Understanding the brain: Towards a new learning science. OECD Publishing.

Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x