Abstract

In this experiment, we combined the measurement of observable facial behavior with simultaneous measures of brain electrical activity to assess patterns of hemispheric activation in different regions during the experience of happiness and disgust. Disgust was found to be associated with right-sided activation in the frontal and anterior temporal regions compared with the happy condition. Happiness was accompanied by left-sided activation in the anterior temporal region compared with disgust. No differences in asymmetry were found between emotions in the central and parietal regions. When data aggregated across positive films were compared to aggregate negative film data, no reliable differences in brain activity were found. These findings illustrate the utility of using facial behavior to verify the presence of emotion, are consistent with the notion of emotion-specific physiological patterning, and underscore the importance of anterior cerebral asymmetries for emotions associated with approach and withdrawal.

Keywords

DisgustPsychologyHappinessFacial expressionBrain asymmetryNegative emotionAsymmetryNeuroscienceCognitive psychologyDevelopmental psychologyAudiologySocial psychologyAngerLateralization of brain functionCommunicationMedicine

MeSH Terms

AdolescentAdultBrainBrain MappingCerebral CortexDominanceCerebralElectroencephalographyEmotionsFearHappinessHumansMale

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Publication Info

Year
1990
Type
article
Volume
58
Issue
2
Pages
330-341
Citations
1595
Access
Closed

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Cite This

Richard J. Davidson, Paul Ekman, Clifford D. Saron et al. (1990). Approach-withdrawal and cerebral asymmetry: Emotional expression and brain physiology: I.. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 58 (2) , 330-341. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.58.2.330

Identifiers

DOI
10.1037/0022-3514.58.2.330
PMID
2319445

Data Quality

Data completeness: 81%