title: On the selective relation of frontal cortical asymmetry and anger-out versus anger-control.
abstract: The model of anterior asymmetry and emotion proposes an asymmetric representation of approach and withdrawal systems in the left and right anterior brain regions. Within this framework, 3 different concepts have been related to anterior asymmetry: affective valence, motivational direction, and behavioral activation. The aim of the present study was an empirical investigation into the relation between anterior cortical activity and questionnaire measures related to the 3 dimensions positive versus negative affect, approach versus withdrawal motivation, and behavioral activation versus inhibition. Subjects with relative greater left than right frontal cortical activity showed higher anger-out scores and lower anger-control scores. These results support the hypothesis that motivational direction is related to frontal asymmetry (approach-left and withdrawal-right). Furthermore, subjects with greater bilateral (left and right) frontal cortical activity showed higher behavioral activation scores. This finding might suggest that behavioral activation is related to approach and withdrawal motivation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany. hewig@biopsy.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hewig
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hagemann
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.forename: Ewald
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Naumann
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bartussek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000786:Anger; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004585:Electrooculography; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires