PHOTIC DRIVING AND PERSONALITY

Relationships between photic driving in the theta (5-7 Hz), alpha (9-1 2 Hz), beta 1 (16, 18, 20 Hz), beta 2 (25 and 30 Hz) and gamma (35 and 40 Hz) bands and personality dimensions of extraversion (E), neurotic ism (N), and psychoticism (P), obtained from Eysenck, Eysenck and Barr ett's (1985; Personality and Individual Differences, 6, 21-29) EPQ-R, were investigated in 34 volunteer subjects. Photic driving power was d erived from analysis of power at each driving frequency in the EEG spe ctrum over 16 electrode sites. A Principal Components Analysis of phot ic driving power at the 14 frequencies disclosed four clear factors, t wo low, a middle and a high frequency factor. While there were no sign ificant relationships between N and photic driving power in any of the frequency bands, P loaded a high frequency (gamma), and E a low frequ ency (theta) driving factor. It is proposed that more efficient high f requency driving in high P subjects reflects greater cortical strength , and that greater theta driving power in extraverts is indicative of an immature nervous system, one which lacks control over impulsive pre dispositions.