title: Hemisphere preference, phobia, and depression.
abstract: The present study was undertaken in order to examine whether depression and anxiety are related to preference for a right hemisphere mode of thinking. On the basis of a paper-and-pencil test presumably measuring hemisphere preference (Preference Test; Zenhausern, 1978), normal subjects (N = 75) were assigned to a group characterized by a left hemisphere thinking style, a group characterized by a right hemisphere thinking style and a group with mixed tendencies (left and right hemisphere tendencies). Additionally, subjects completed the Fear Questionnaire and the Depression Symptom Inventory. It was found that subjects with a right hemisphere thinking style reported more depressive and fear symptoms than subjects with a left hemisphere thinking style. This finding is in line with theories which assume that the right hemisphere is characterized by a negative, dysphoric emotional tendency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychopathology/Mental Health Sciences, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Merckelbach
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muris
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Jong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012016:Reference Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking