Gender difference in electrical brain activity during presentation of various film excerpts with different emotional...

Electrical activity of the human brain has been monitored using socalled charge mode (Laplacian estimates) during the exposure with short video film excerpts of 7 min duration. Eighty subjects (50% male and female) watched 5 different film excerpts (disney, animal, comedy, erotic and sex scenes) separated by 3 min pause. Comparison to a reference period of 7 min without video exposure revealed strong decreases in alpha and beta power starting from the electrode position T6 (right temporal) and spread to other brain areas with stronger attentional stimuli e.g. during the erotic and sex films. Highly statistically significant differences were observed between male and female in temporal areas, who in general developed stronger decreases than males. Females on the other hand produced significant increases in fronto-central delta and theta power which could be interpreted as expression of higher appreciation, whereas the decreases in alpha power in general are understood as signs of higher attention. The data are further proof that recording the computer aided quantitative EEG is a very fruitful and promising approach in psychophysiology.