Handedness affects emotional valence asymmetry

Music was played monaurally to 80 right-handed and 80 left-handed subjects. Right-handers reported more positive and less negative effect if the music was to the right ear. Left-handers reported experiencing more positive and less negative effect during music to the left ear. The hand x ear interaction was significant. The valence of emotional responses to the music seems influenced by a combination of at least two factors, (1) differences between left- and right-handers in the cerebral processing of emotional valence and (2) differences in the processing of emotional valence within each handedness group depending upon which hemisphere was initially most strongly engaged by the music. These results partially corroborate and extend stimuli were presented tachistoscopically or dichotically. It is concluded that, while there is hemispheric asymmetry in the processing of emotional valence, the direction of the asymmetry may be associated with the handedness of the subjects.