Personality, Affect and EEG: An Integration of Three Models to Predict Neural Patterns of Activity

201 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999.This research assessed whether individual differences in frontal and posterior electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha were associated with basic dimensions of personality, extraversion and neuroticism. A theoretical model proposed that extraversion and neuroticism (measured by the NEO-PI-R) were related to the affect circumplex and Heller's (1990, 1993) model of brain activity associated with affect. Other hypothesized dimensions of affect (PANAS-GEN Positive and Negative Affect Scales) were also measured. Resting EEG was recorded for subjects on one occasion for eight 60-second resting baseline periods. Mean log-transformed alpha power was extracted from the EEG for each electrode site, and asymmetry scores were computed across homologous electrode sites by subtracting left from right hemisphere mean log-transformed power. Results indicated that increased relative right posterior activity was associated with higher neuroticism and Negative Affect (NA) scores, and these effects for posterior activity remained unchanged when the effect of current mood was included in the statistical model. Predicted effects for extraversion and neuroticism associated with frontal activity emerged when the effect of current mood was included in the statistical model. Results support the model of brain activity and affect proposed by Heller (1990,1993), as well as the model for brain activity and personality proposed in the current research.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD