Research Article
EEG asymmetry at 10 months of age: Are temperament trait predictors different for boys and girls?
Maria A. Gartstein,
Martha Ann Bell,
Susan D. Calkins,
Corresponding Author
Maria A. Gartstein
Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4820
Correspondence to: Maria A. GartsteinSearch for more papers by this authorMartha Ann Bell
Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Search for more papers by this authorSusan D. Calkins
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Search for more papers by this authorMaria A. Gartstein,
Martha Ann Bell,
Susan D. Calkins,
Corresponding Author
Maria A. Gartstein
Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4820
Correspondence to: Maria A. GartsteinSearch for more papers by this authorMartha Ann Bell
Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Search for more papers by this authorSusan D. Calkins
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Search for more papers by this authorABSTRACT
Frontal EEG asymmetry patterns represent markers of individual differences in emotion reactivity and regulation, with right hemisphere activation linked with withdrawal behaviors/emotions (e.g., fear), and activation of the left hemisphere associated with approach (e.g., joy, anger). In the present study, gender was examined as a potential moderator of links between infant temperament at 5 months, and frontal EEG asymmetry patterns recorded during an Arm Restraint procedure at 10 months of age. Positive Affectivity/Surgency (PAS), Negative Emotionality (NE), and Orienting/Regulatory Capacity (ORC) were considered as predictors, with PAS emerging as significant for males; higher levels translating into greater right-frontal activation later in infancy. For females, ORC accounted for a significant portion of the frontal asymmetry scores, with higher ORC being associated with greater right-frontal activation. The moderating influence of gender noted in this study is discussed in the context of implications for discrepancies in rates/symptoms of psychopathology later in childhood. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 56: 1327–1340, 2014.
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