Resting frontal EEG alpha-asymmetry predicts the evaluation of affective musical stimuli

Resting frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha-asymmetry was measured in 16 participants to predict affective responses to musical stimuli. Three affective musical stimuli either expressing neutral, positive or negative mood were evaluated by the subjects concerning “expressed mood” and “level of enjoyment”. The results show that individuals with relatively higher alpha power over right frontal electrode sites rated all stimuli more positive than participants with relatively higher alpha power over left frontal electrode sites. On the “expressed mood” scale, the valence of the stimuli did not influence the difference between the ratings of left- and right-active individuals. On the “enjoyment” scale, the largest difference between the ratings of left- and right-active individuals emerged in the negative condition. The results are specific to the alpha frequency band. In line with previous studies, these results suggest that resting frontal alpha-asymmetry reflects a person's predisposition to respond affectively.