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If it's not left, it's right: Electroencephalograph asymmetry and the development of emotion.
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that an initial component involving stimulus evaluation may precede subsequent steps in the generation of emotion. This article presents a model for the development of emotion that involves an initial decision of approach or withdrawal, which results in motor programs, including facial expression, that facilitate either approach or withdrawal. With development, more complex emotions arise, as products of these basic initial responses and interaction with the environment. Evidence is presented that suggests that there are brain asymmetries (as measured by scalp recorded EEG activity) localized to the frontal region that are associated with the generation of emotion in infants. Variability in the pattern of EEG asymmetry between infants may be an important marker of differences in temperament.
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“Individuals with greater frontal alpha activity on the left relative to the right hemisphere display more reward-seeking behaviors than do individuals with greater activity on the right side.”
From Social “wanting” dysfunction in autism: neurobiological underpinnings and treatment implications (2012) · cites this paper as [106]
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“activity at rest (Schmidt,Miskovic, Boyle, & Saigal, 2010), a pattern that is associatedwithwithdrawal, avoidance-related behavior, and intense responses to negative emotional stimuli (e.g., Davidson, 2000; Fox, 1991).”
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“A natural log transformation was applied to alpha power values, with asymmetry scores calculated as the difference between the transformed power values of F4 and F3 (i.e., ln power F4 – ln power F3), as previously described (Fox, 1991; Fox et al., 2001; Reznik & Allen, 2018; Schmidt, 2008).”
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“FAA refers to the difference in alpha activity between the left and right frontal regions of the brain (Fox, 1991).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Fox, N. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- Corresponding author
- Fox, Nathan A.
- ORCID
- Fox, Nathan A.
- Venue
- American Psychologist
- Published
- 1991
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 863-872
- ISSN
- 0003-066X (ISSN-L)
- 1935-990X
- OpenAlex
- W2008065461
- Cited by
- 438
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 4.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Psychologist (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD 17899)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- emotional development, frontal lobe asymmetry, approach-avoidance behavior, motor programs, facial expressions, infants, temperament, EEG variability, stimulus evaluation
- MeSH terms
- Cerebral Cortex, Dominance, Cerebral, Emotions, Facial Expression, Humans, Individuality, Temperament
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