Frontal Alpha Asymmetry scores in threatening and non-threatening conditions

Abstract: The current paper examined the relationship between frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and threatening face stimuli. Participants were presented with threatening faces, and this was compared to non-threatening (neutral) faces, on the assumption that the threatening faces would trigger a withdrawal motivation and a corresponding decrease in state FAA scores. The EEG data used in the present analysis was taken from an earlier study at the University of Skövde, consisting of twenty-eight participants with no reported current ongoing neurological or psychiatric illnesses, or epilepsy. Based on the paired samples t-test there was no significant statistical difference between participants’ FAA scores in the threatening and non-threatening conditions. The relatively small sample of the present study may be a contributing factor. Furthermore, threatening face images may elicit weaker responses than non-facial images such as threatening images of domestic violence or natural disasters. In the future, the field of FAA may benefit from investigating the connection between FAA and non-facial threatening and non-threatening images, instead of faces.