Relationship between EEG, personality and vigilance

Abstract

The dependence of alpha frequencies upon vigilance performance and upon the personality variables of rigidity, extraversion and neurotic tendency was investigated. The EEG was recorded from bipolar derivations F3-C3, P3-O1 and T5-O1 during various resting and task periods. The independent evaluation of records from the latter two positions and the correlation of these with other data gave the following results: 1. 1. Good vigilance correlates positively with low (8–9 c/sec) and negatively with high (12–13 c/sec) alpha frequencies during both task performance and the subsequent resting stage. 2. 2. Good vigilance correlates negatively with the alpha index in the subsequent resting period. 3. 3. Rigidity correlates positively with the error score in the vigilance task and negatively with the percentage of correct responses. 4. 4. Rigidity correlates negatively with low 5. (8–9 c/sec) and positively with high (12–13 c/sec) alpha frequencies. 6. 5. Neurotic tendency correlates positively with intermediate (19-11 c/sec) alpha frequencies during the vigilance task and with the alpha index during and after this task. 7. 6. Neurotic tendency, however, correlates negatively with the intermediate (10–11 c/sec) alpha frequencies during the resting period prior to the task. 8. 7. Poor performance (error score) on the arithmetic tasks correlates negatively with the alpha index during the resting stages. 9. 8. Poor performance (error score) on the arithmetic tasks correlates positively with the low (8–9 c/sec) alpha frequencies during the vigilance task. The results suggest that good vigilance is associated with the lower alpha frequencies and poor vigilance with the higher ones. Rigidity appears to be associated with high alpha frequencies and poor performance. When neurotic tendency is high, performance of the vigilance task causes an increase rather than a decrease in 10–11 c/sec waves.