Prefrontal Brain Asymmetry: A Biological Substrate of the Behavioral Approach and Inhibition Systems
Abstract
Resting anterior brain electrical activity, self-report measures of Behavioral Approach and Inhibition System (BAS and BIS) strength, and general levels of positive and negative affect (PA and NA) were collected from 46 unselected undergraduates on two separate occasions Electroencephalogram (EEG) measures of prefrontal asymmetry and the self-report measures showed excellent internal consistency reliability and adequate test-retest stability Aggregate measures across the two assessments were computed for all indices Subjects with greater relative left prefrontal activation reported higher levels of BAS strength, whereas those with greater relative right prefrontal activation reported higher levels of BIS strength Prefrontal EEG asymmetry accounted for more than 25% of the variance in the self-report measure of relative BAS-BIS strength Prefrontal EEG, however, was not significantly correlated with PA or NA, or the relative strength of PA versus NA Posterior asymmetry was unrelated to the self-report measures
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Extraversion is linked to the mesolimbic system and the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
“Extraversion assesses the energy level and has been linked to the mesolimbic system and the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine (Sutton & Davidson, 1997).”
From The Role of Personality in Language Learning (2026) · cites this paper as Sutton & Davidson, 1997
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The Role of Personality in Language Learning
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- Authors
- Sutton, S. K., & Davidson, R. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Corresponding author
- Davidson, Richard J.
- Venue
- Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1997-05
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 204-210
- ISSN
- 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-9280
- OpenAlex
- W2143793766
- Cited by
- 1,263
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 84 · 2019: 39 · 2018: 49 · 2017: 52 · 2016: 62 · 2015: 64 · 2014: 73 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 74
- FWCI
- 9.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- behavioral approach system, behavioral inhibition system, resting-state EEG, positive affect, negative affect, self-report measures
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