Exploring the relationship between frontal alpha asymmetry and the big five personality traits

Abstract: Frontal Alpha Asymmetry (FAA) has been associated with individual differences such as various aspects of personality. However, the nature of the relationship between FAA and personality traits is not yet fully understood. The present study further investigated this relationship by exploring the correlation between resting-state FAA and the Big Five personality traits: openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism. 15 healthy participants completed resting-state EEG recordings three times and the Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI) twice. The results showed only one statistically significant correlation among the 20 correlations examined, between the F4-F3 resting-state FAA and openness scores. Besides, the direction of the relationship was the opposite of what would be expected. The small sample size of this study may have contributed to results, indicating the need for future research with larger samples. Nonetheless, the current findings add to the existing literature and suggest that the relationship between resting-state FAA and personality traits may be more complex than previously thought.