Handedness affects emotional valence asymmetry

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Music Cognition

Background:

• Hemispheric asymmetry influences emotional processing.
• Handedness can affect cerebral lateralization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between handedness and the cerebral processing of emotional valence in response to music.
• To explore how music presented to different ears affects emotional responses in right- and left-handed individuals.

Main Methods:

• Monaural music presentation to 80 right-handed and 80 left-handed subjects.
• Subjects reported the valence (positive/negative) of their emotional responses.
• Analysis of the interaction between handedness and ear of music presentation.

Main Results:

• Right-handers reported more positive affect when music was in the right ear.
• Left-handers reported more positive affect when music was in the left ear.
• A significant interaction between handedness and ear of presentation was observed.

Conclusions:

• Hemispheric asymmetry in emotional valence processing exists.
• The direction of this asymmetry is influenced by handedness.
• Music's emotional impact depends on cerebral processing influenced by handedness and ear of input.