Frontal EEG asymmetry in response to emotional vignettes in preschool age children

EEG recordings were conducted with preschool children during presentations of videotaped vignettes depicting a fictional young child experiencing happ y, sad, angry, and fearful events. Significant EEG asymmetry in the frontal region (left frontal activation) occurred during all types of emotional vi gnettes, but not during baseline periods (a neutral star-field image presen ted before and after each vignette). This pattern of left frontal cortical activation during each emotional vignette may represent a generally positiv e and low intensity emotional "approach'' response even in the case of the negative emotion vignettes. These children displayed mostly neutral facial expressions during the vignettes, with some evidence of lip movements durin g the negative episodes (suggesting that the stories were eliciting some mi ld emotional responses or empathy). There was no evidence of more intense e motional responses that have been associated with right frontal cortical ac tivation. These EEG patterns may reflect cortical mechanisms underlying mil d emotional responses and affective displays in preschool children, as well as their developing ability to regulate their affective systems.