DIFFERENTIAL LATERALIZATION FOR POSITIVE VERSUS NEGATIVE EMOTION

Lateral eye movements were recorded in response to 60 reflective questions designed to manipulate (1) verbal/spatial requirements and (2) affective tone. Positive emotion questions evoked movements suggestive of relative left hemisphere involvement, while negative emotion questions evoked movements suggestive of relative right hemisphere involvement. Verbal/spatial effects emerged only in a subgroup of subjects showing bidirectional eye movement responses under these conditions. Lateralization effects for approach vs avoidance responding (and their accompanying emotional states) may be more fundamental than the higher cognitive verbal/ spatial dichotomy. © 1979.