Abstract
Background: Brain cortical activity in resting electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings can be considered as measures of latent individual disposition to approach/avoidance behavior. This systematic review aims to provide an updated overview of the relationship between resting EEG cortical activity and approach/avoidance motivation personality traits. Methods: The review process was conducted according to the PRISMA-Statement, using PsycArticles, MEDLINE, Scopus, Science Citation Index, and Research Gate database. Restrictions were made by selecting EEG studies conducted in resting idling conditions, which included approach/avoidance personality traits or parallel measures, and an index of EEG brain activity. In the review 50 studies were selected, wherein 7120 healthy adult individuals participated. Results: The study of the relationship between resting EEG cortical activity and approach/avoidance personality traits provides controversial and unclear results. Therefore, the validity of resting asymmetry or frequency oscillations as a potential marker for approach/avoidance personality traits is not supported. Conclusions: There are important contextual and interactional factors not taken into account by researchers that could mediate or moderate this relationship or prove it scarcely replicable. Further, it would be necessary to conduct more sessions of EEG recordings in different seasons of the year to test the validity and the reliability of the neurobiological measures.
Highlights
Brain frequency oscillatory activity is defined as the real activity of the brain [1]
In this study a significant association was highlighted between the right hemisphere activation and Negative Affect (NA) trait, but no significant association was found between alpha rhythm and Positive Affect (PA) trait. These authors reported, in contrast with the emotional model, a left anterior temporal activation in subjects with higher NA scores, while they did not find any significant association between NA and N or PA and E. These results suggested that the biological bases of N and NA are different [29], disconfirming the hypotheses of Eysenck and Eysenck [168], according to which N trait should be positively associated with negative affect, whereas E trait is positively associated with positive affect
Considerations that the manifestation of trait frontal asymmetry is until today an unknown phenomenon, as well as the association of scalp-distributed lateral asymmetries with approach/avoidance motivation personality traits
Summary
Brain frequency oscillatory activity is defined as the real activity of the brain [1]. According to Harmon-Jones and Gable [5], baseline electroencephalogram (EEG) measures in idling condition can be treated as personality dispositions. In this conceptual framework, the test–retest reliability of the resting EEG is comparable to the test–retest of self-reported personality trait measures, recorded in idling standard experimental conditions [6]. Brain cortical activity in resting electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings can be considered as measures of latent individual disposition to approach/avoidance behavior. Restrictions were made by selecting EEG studies conducted in resting idling conditions, which included approach/avoidance personality traits or parallel measures, and an index of EEG brain activity.
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