Neural Process of Emotional Valence Quality in Extraversion: Localisation, Components and Specific Electrodes Analyses

Abstract

The process of emotion is greatly influenced by people’s personalities. This study aimed to determine the interaction between extraversion continuum (extravert, ambivert, and introvert) and the process of emotion from different valence quality of visual stimuli (high, moderate, low). Potential participants had their extraversion trait screened using the Extraversion-Five-Factor Nonverbal Personality Questionnaire (E-FF-NPQ). Ninety participants (30 for each group of personality) enrolled in this study. In the Event-Related Potential (ERP) session, participants’ emotion was evoked by a series of pictures (visual stimuli) from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) with different valence qualities (high, moderate, low). No significant interaction between extraversion continuum and valence quality was observed at component level of analysis. However, several specific electrodes revealed significant interaction – P3 latency (p=0.03) and F8 amplitude (p=0,02) of N200 and Cz latency of P300 (p=0.02). Low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) revealed almost similar pattern of N200 and P300 localisation in the high valence state, particularly among extraverts. At the very least, a minor difference between extravert and non-extravert could be expected with careful consideration of cultural and methodological bias.