INFANT FRONTAL ASYMMETRY AS A PREDICTOR FOR DISTINCT PATTERNS OF TEMPERAMENT

Magen Elizabeth Lowe

doi:10.7273/000007259

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a non-invasive method of obtaining neural correlates of temperament. Frontal EEG asymmetry is defined as the discrepancy in neural activity, reflected in power values, between the left and right hemispheres (Fox, 1991; Schmidt, 2008; Briesemeister et al., 2013). Greater relative right frontal activation has been linked to withdrawal and negative emotions, with greater left frontal activation linked to approach and positive affectivity, aligned with the theory of emotional lateralization (Fox, 1994; Davidson & Fox, 1989; Gartstein et al. 2014). More recent theories have emphasized asymmetry interpretations focus on motivational systems, rather than specific emotional reactions and there has been an emphasis on the disentanglement of emotional valence with the approach and withdrawal motivational systems (e.g., Reznik & Allen, 2018; Harmon-Jones & Gables, 2018). The current study aims to examine the utility of infant EEG asymmetry indicators from two Lab-TAB tasks that tap into the approach system as predictors of mother-reported temperament. Specifically, this project examined EEG data collected from a Peek-A-Boo (PAB) and Toy Removal (TR) task and the ability of EEG signals collected during those tasks to predict individual differences in maternal reported IBQ-R scales: overall Negative Emotionality (NE) and Surgency/Positive Affectivity (SPA), along with their component scales: (1) SPA - Approach, Smiling and Laughter, Vocal Reactivity, High-Intensity Pleasure, Activity Level, and Perceptual Sensitivity; (2) NE - Distress to Limitations, Fear, Sadness, and Falling reactivity. Based on the affective valance model, affect-specific associations are hypothesized regardless of task (i.e., across Peek-A-Boo and Toy Removal), with right-activation task shifts contributing to Negative Emotionality and Distress to Limitations. Alternatively, the motivational direction model would be viewed as most critical with respect to EEG shifts predicting temperament by the motivation-focused approach, with a pattern of results wherein a change toward greater left frontal activation in TR is associated with higher trait approach and Distress to Limitations indicated. 2 of the 24 hierarchical regressions conducted to examine associations between task-specific EEG shifts in predicting these temperament attributes were significant. TR asymmetry effect on Surgency/Positive Affectivity (SPA) approached significance and was driven by predictive relationship between TR asymmetry and Smiling and Laughter. Specifically, greater relative right frontal activation was associated with higher SPA (marginally) and greater Smiling and Laughter. All models examining PAB asymmetry as a predictor and those considering Negative Emotionality related outcomes did not yield any statistically significant results, other than occasional contributions of considered covariates (infant sex and age). This pattern of results is most consistent with the Capability Model of frontal alpha asymmetry, wherein an individual’s capability for approach versus withdrawal tendencies may vary given the emotional demands of the situation (Coan et al., 2006).

INFANT FRONTAL ASYMMETRY AS A PREDICTOR FOR DISTINCT PATTERNS OF TEMPERAMENT

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