Brain activity in constrained and open design: the effect of gender on frequency bands

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents results from a design neurocognition study on the effect of gender on EEG frequency band power when performing constrained and open design. We used electroencephalography to measure the brain activity of 84 professional designers. We investigated differences in frequency power associated with gender of 38 female and 46 male designers, while performing two prototypical design tasks. The aim of the study was to explore whether gender moderates brain activity while performing a constrained versus an open design task. Neurophysiological results for aggregate activations across genders and between tasks indicate a main effect of gender for theta, alpha 2, and beta 1 frequency bands. Females show higher theta, alpha 2, and beta 1, namely in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right occipitotemporal cortex, secondary visual cortex, and prefrontal cortex in both tasks. Females show higher beta bands than males, in areas of the left prefrontal cortex, in the constrained design. While in the open design, females showed higher theta, alpha, and beta 2 in the left prefrontal cortex and secondary visual cortex for all frequency bands. Results within gender between tasks indicate higher theta and alpha in the prefrontal cortex in the constrained design for both genders. Whilst for open design, results indicate higher theta and alpha 1 in the right hemisphere and higher alpha 2 and beta bands across hemispheres for both genders. Results within gender reveal common brain areas and frequency bands in distinguishing constrained from open design.