TY - JOUR
T1 - Age-invariance in the asymmetry of stimulus-evoked emotional facial muscle activity
AU - Reminger, S. L.
AU - Kaszniak, A. W.
AU - Dalby, P. R.
N1 - Funding Information:
* This study was supported in part by The University of Arizona Cognitive Neuroscience Center through grants from the Flinn and McDonnell-Pew Foundations. We thank Gary E. Schwartz and John J. B. Allen for their technical expertise and for their insightful comments and suggestions throughout the study. We also thank Ziya V. Dikman for assistance with data reduction. Address correspondence to: Sheryl L. Reminger, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. Fax: (520) 621-9306. Email: reminger@u.arizona.edu. Accepted for publication: March 14, 2000.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - This study examined possible effects of aging on the lateralization of stimulus-evoked emotional facial muscle activity. Older participants (mean age 68.4 years) and younger participants (mean age 26.4 years) viewed slides of positive, neutral, or negative emotional content. While participants viewed the slides, bilateral electromyographic (EMG) recordings were obtained from the skin surface over zygomatic and corrugator facial muscles. The participants also made ratings of experienced emotional valence and arousal. Expected patterns of subjective experience and asymmetrical EMG activity were found in response to target stimuli. Greater corrugator muscle activity occurred during presentation of negative stimuli, whereas greater zygomatic muscle activity occurred during presentation of positive stimuli. Consistent with right-hemisphere specialization theories of emotion, left-sided facial EMG activity was consistently greater than that of the right side during presentation of emotional stimuli. However, neither subjective ratings nor EMG patterns showed a significant effect of age group. Such similar patterns of emotional response for the two groups suggest, that the aging process does not produce marked changes in stimulus-evoked emotional experience or in the pattern, magnitude, or lateralization of facial muscle activity associated with emotional states.
AB - This study examined possible effects of aging on the lateralization of stimulus-evoked emotional facial muscle activity. Older participants (mean age 68.4 years) and younger participants (mean age 26.4 years) viewed slides of positive, neutral, or negative emotional content. While participants viewed the slides, bilateral electromyographic (EMG) recordings were obtained from the skin surface over zygomatic and corrugator facial muscles. The participants also made ratings of experienced emotional valence and arousal. Expected patterns of subjective experience and asymmetrical EMG activity were found in response to target stimuli. Greater corrugator muscle activity occurred during presentation of negative stimuli, whereas greater zygomatic muscle activity occurred during presentation of positive stimuli. Consistent with right-hemisphere specialization theories of emotion, left-sided facial EMG activity was consistently greater than that of the right side during presentation of emotional stimuli. However, neither subjective ratings nor EMG patterns showed a significant effect of age group. Such similar patterns of emotional response for the two groups suggest, that the aging process does not produce marked changes in stimulus-evoked emotional experience or in the pattern, magnitude, or lateralization of facial muscle activity associated with emotional states.
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U2 - 10.1076/1382-5585(200009)7:3;1-Q;FT156
DO - 10.1076/1382-5585(200009)7:3;1-Q;FT156
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0034493259
SN - 1382-5585
VL - 7
SP - 156
EP - 168
JO - Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition
JF - Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition
IS - 3
ER -