Journal of Personality and Social Psycholology, 1992 Apr;62(4):676-87

Individual differences in anterior brain asymmetry and fundamental dimensions of emotion.*

Tomarken AJ, Davidson RJ, Wheeler RE, Doss RC
Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37240.

This research assessed whether individual differences in anterior brain asymmetry are linked to differences in basic dimensions of emotion. In each of 2 experimental sessions, separated by 3 weeks, resting electroencephalogram (EEG) activity was recorded from female adults during 8 60-s baselines. Mean alpha power asymmetry across both sessions was extracted in mid-frontal and anterior temporal sites. Across both regions, groups demonstrating stable and extreme relative left anterior activation reported increased generalized positive affect (PA) and decreased generalized negative affect (NA) compared with groups demonstrating stable and extreme relative right anterior activation. Additional correlational analyses revealed robust relations between anterior asymmetry and PA and NA, particularly among subjects who demonstrated stable patterns of EEG activation over time. Anterior asymmetry was unrelated to individual differences in generalized reactivity.

* Reproduced with permission of the APA - Journal of Personality and Social Psychology