The Lobes of the Brain and Their Functions

Each half of the brain is divided into four areas called Lobes.

The Frontal Lobes

The Frontal Lobes are located in the front of the brain. They are very large and have many functions. The frontal lobes are considered to be our emotional control centre. They play a central role in our personality and how we act. They are also involved in attention skills and controlling movement.

The frontal lobes manage skills known as Executive Functions. These are very important skills we use for things such as solving problems, planning, making decisions and controlling our behaviour. The frontal lobes work like the conductor of an orchestra who keeps all the musicians playing together harmoniously.

The Temporal Lobes

The Temporal Lobes are located on the side of your brain just above your ears. One of their important functions is to help us process and understand sounds such as musical notes and speech. Other functions include managing our emotions and recognising faces. A part of the temporal lobe, called the Hippocampus, also plays an important role in memory.

The Parietal Lobes

The Parietal Lobes are located behind the frontal lobes and above the temporal lobes. One of their main functions is to allow us to make sense of things we touch – for example, whether an object is smooth or sharp, firm or soft.

The parietal lobes also tell us where our body is in relation to the objects around us. This allows us to move around without bumping in to things. This function is known as Visuospatial Processing.

The parietal lobes are also important for skills such as maths, spelling, hand-eye coordination and fine motor movements such as tying shoe laces.

The Occipital Lobes

The Occipital Lobes are located at the back of the brain. They have an important role in vision because they allow us to make sense of information that comes from our eyes. This process is known as Visual Perception.