How Many of These False Psych Beliefs Do You Endorse?

Many psychology students believe in neuromyths, but analytical thinking protects against these false beliefs

STUDY: Tabullo AJ, Trends in Neuroscience and Education 2026

STUDY TYPE: Cross-sectional study

FUNDING: Independent

Background

Neuromyths are widespread misconceptions about the brain that persist despite lacking scientific support, like:

The Mozart Effect: the idea that Mozart’s music improves cognitive performance or development. It looked promising in the first study (especially Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448), but did not hold up to independent attempts at validation.

The first three years: the idea that experiences in the first three years of life irreversibly determine a child’s cognitive, emotional, and social development. It’s not supported empirically but based in theory on the high synaptic plasticity window occurring within this period.

Left-brain vs. right-brain: the idea that people are either predominantly analytical and logical (left-brained) or creative and intuitive (right-brained).

Here’s the full list they used in this study:

1. We only use 10% of our brain capacity.
2. An environment with a lot of stimulation improves preschoolers’ brain development.
3. There are critical periods in childhood for learning, after which a child can no longer learn certain things.
4. Students learn better when they receive information through their dominant learning style (e.g., auditory, visual, kinesthetic).
5. Babies who are stimulated with classical music develop language faster.
6. Education cannot remedy learning problems related to the development of brain functions.
7. Mathematicians use the left hemisphere more, while artists use the right hemisphere more.
8. Differences in hemispheric dominance (left brain, right brain) can partly explain individual differences among students.
9. Short sessions of coordination exercises can improve integration of left–right hemisphere brain function.
10. If you don’t drink enough water, your brain will shrink

About 40–50% of psychology students endorse them, which is surprising, unless the idea that experts are immune to false beliefs is itself a myth.

The Study

• 320 Argentine psychology undergraduates (83% women, average age 27).
• Participants completed a 10-item neuromyth questionnaire alongside measures of general brain knowledge, number of neuroscience courses taken, interest in neuroscience, Need for Cognition (NFC), and the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT).
• The CRT assesses whether someone overrides a quick intuitive answer to find the correct one. The NFC measures how much someone enjoys engaging in effortful thinking.

Results

Students endorsed 41% of the neuromyths on average. The most accepted were learning styles (76%) and the idea that sensory-rich environments improve brain development in young children (74%).

Those with better analytical thinking (higher CRT scores) had lower neuromyth endorsement. However, students who enjoyed thinking (high NFC “enjoyment” scores) endorsed more neuromyths (maybe they think too much? oh no, I might be leaning on another myth). Older students also endorsed more neuromyths (“you can’t teach an old dog…” wait, not another myth).

Other attributes had no effect on mythologizing: The number of neuroscience courses taken, interest in neuroscience, and general brain knowledge (test your own knowledge with their quiz).

Practice Implications

1. False beliefs are hard to let go of.
2. Stay empirically grounded through a research blog like this. It’s a start.

—Chris Aiken, MD
Director, Psych Partners
Editor in Chief, Carlat Psychiatry Report

What’s Your Take? Share in Comments