Biomaterial Database

Cerebral processing of nonverbal affective stimuli: differential effects of cognitive and affective sets on hemispheric asymmetry. 1987

M B Meyers, and B D Smith

The cerebral processing of emotion has been the subject of a number of recent studies, but results relating to hemispheric asymmetry have been quite mixed. The present study attempted to clarify and extend findings in this area by examining the differential effects of cognitive and affective sets on hemisphere asymmetry under conditions of nonverbal emotional stimulation. Electroencephalographic (EEG) data, recorded bilaterally, showed that differential hemispheric processing interacted with emotion (positive or negative), condition (cognitive or affective), and sex. In those emotion/condition combinations where hemispheric asymmetry was observed, there was greater activity in the left hemisphere than in the right. In addition, positive affect produced greater asymmetry than negative, and females showed greater activity in response to positive emotional stimuli than did males. Further, affective conditions yielded higher levels of activity than did cognitive. Finally, electrodermal activity showed lateralization effects as a differential function of cognitive and affective conditions.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D003071	Cognition	Intellectual or mental process whereby an organism obtains knowledge.	Cognitive Function,Cognitions,Cognitive Functions,Function, Cognitive,Functions, Cognitive
D004292	Dominance, Cerebral	Dominance of one cerebral hemisphere over the other in cerebral functions.	Cerebral Dominance,Hemispheric Specialization,Dominances, Cerebral,Specialization, Hemispheric
D004569	Electroencephalography	Recording of electric currents developed in the brain by means of electrodes applied to the scalp, to the surface of the brain, or placed within the substance of the brain.	EEG,Electroencephalogram,Electroencephalograms
D004644	Emotions	Those affective states which can be experienced and have arousing and motivational properties.	Feelings,Regret,Emotion,Feeling,Regrets
D005260	Female		Females
D005625	Frontal Lobe	The part of the cerebral hemisphere anterior to the central sulcus, and anterior and superior to the lateral sulcus.	Brodmann Area 8,Brodmann's Area 8,Frontal Cortex,Frontal Eye Fields,Lobus Frontalis,Supplementary Eye Field,Area 8, Brodmann,Area 8, Brodmann's,Brodmanns Area 8,Cortex, Frontal,Eye Field, Frontal,Eye Field, Supplementary,Eye Fields, Frontal,Frontal Cortices,Frontal Eye Field,Frontal Lobes,Lobe, Frontal,Supplementary Eye Fields
D005712	Galvanic Skin Response	A change in electrical resistance of the skin, occurring in emotion and in certain other conditions.	Electric Conductance, Skin,Electrodermal Response,Reflex, Psychogalvanic,Skin Electric Conductance,Conductance, Skin Electric,Conductances, Skin Electric,Electric Conductances, Skin,Electrodermal Responses,Galvanic Skin Responses,Psychogalvanic Reflex,Response, Electrodermal,Response, Galvanic Skin,Responses, Electrodermal,Responses, Galvanic Skin,Skin Response, Galvanic,Skin Responses, Galvanic
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000339	Affect	The feeling-tone accompaniment of an idea or mental representation. It is the most direct psychic derivative of instinct and the psychic representative of the various bodily changes by means of which instincts manifest themselves.	Mood,Affects,Moods