title: Relative left-frontal activity is associated with increased depression in high reassurance-seekers.
abstract: Excessive reassurance-seeking, which has been associated with depression in many studies, can be defined as the relatively stable tendency to seek assurance perseveratively from others. We hypothesized that although depression has been associated with left-frontal EEG hypoactivity, reassurance-seekers may possess a unique diathesis that is more likely to be associated with increased left-frontal activity. Data were collected from 12 volunteers who were receiving therapeutic services from a University Clinic. EEG asymmetry scores were averaged over two measurement occasions at least 3 weeks apart. As predicted, stable relative right-frontal activity was associated with increased depression in those who were low on reassurance-seeking, while stable relative left-frontal activity was associated with increased depression among high reassurance-seekers. Perhaps those who seek reassurance excessively do so because of their inability to alter their behavior even when environmental cues are no longer reinforcing, which can maintain or exacerbate their depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1270, USA. minnix@psy.fsu.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Minnix
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kline
authors.forename: Ginette C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Blackhart
authors.forename: Jeremy W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Pettit
authors.forename: Marisol
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Joiner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D012649:Self Concept