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Updated: May 21, 2026

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice
Published on: July 31, 2019
Emotion lateralisation: developments throughout the lifespan.
Dawn Watling1, Lance Workman, Victoria J Bourne
1Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, UK. Dawn.Watling@rhul.ac.uk
This study explores how brain hemisphere specialization for emotion processing impacts emotion recognition across a lifetime. It examines whether this development is shaped by experience or innate timing, offering insights into developmental trajectories.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Existing research focuses separately on hemispheric lateralisation for emotion processing and emotion recognition across the lifespan.
- The interplay between these two domains, particularly how lateralisation influences recognition performance throughout life, remains underexplored.
Discussion:
- This paper integrates existing research and novel findings to examine the development of emotion lateralisation from infancy to late adulthood.
- It considers whether this development is experience-dependent (learning) or experience-expectant (specific timing).
- Insights from atypical populations are also discussed.
Key Insights:
- Hemispheric lateralisation for emotion processing significantly influences emotion recognition abilities across the lifespan.
- The developmental trajectory of emotion lateralisation may be shaped by both environmental learning and critical developmental periods.
- Understanding atypical development offers valuable perspectives on typical lateralisation and emotion processing.
Outlook:
- Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies to track developmental changes.
- Investigating the influence of hormones on emotion lateralisation and recognition is crucial.
- Exploring the evolutionary origins of laterality can provide deeper insights into its role in emotion processing.
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