The Difficult Integration between Human and Animal Studies on Emotional Lateralization: A Perspective Article

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Comparative Psychology
• Ethology

Background:

• Hemispheric asymmetries were long considered a human-specific trait.
• Growing evidence reveals lateralization in nonhuman species for various behaviors.
• Studies on emotional lateralization in humans and animals have progressed independently.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore factors hindering the integration of human and animal emotional lateralization research.
• To analyze emotion processing stages to identify shared and distinct lateralization patterns between humans and animals.
• To compare emotional lateralization similarities across species, focusing on primates.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on hemispheric asymmetries in humans and animals.
• Analysis of emotion processing components and stages.
• Comparative analysis of emotional communication and experience structures.

Main Results:

• Right-lateralization of sympathetic functions is conserved across many animal species.
• Asymmetries in emotional communication show similarities only in primates.
• Emotional experience-related asymmetries comparable to humans are documented exclusively in primates.

Conclusions:

• While basic sympathetic responses show broad animal lateralization, complex emotional processing and experience asymmetries are more restricted.
• Integration of human and animal studies is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of emotional lateralization.
• Primate emotional lateralization offers insights into the evolution of human emotional systems.