Depression or anxiety: which is best able to predict patterns of lateralisation for the processing of emotional faces?

ABSTRACT

Previous research has shown that both anxiety and depression are associated with strength of lateralisation for the processing of emotive faces, although these clinical measures have always been considered in separate studies. In the present study, we measure depression and anxiety, within the same non-clinical sample, and consider whether these variables can predict strength of lateralisation, measured using the chimeric faces test. There are two key findings from this study. First, for females only, anxiety is negatively associated with right hemispheric superiority for processing of negative emotional expressions. Second, there was only one finding for depression, showing a relationship with strength of lateralisation for the processing of fearful faces that differed according to sex.

KEYWORDS:

• Emotion lateralisation
• chimeric faces
• depression
• anxiety
• sex differences

Acknowledgements

For assisting with data collection, many thanks to Sarah Brooks, Katy Donnelly, Domicele Jonauskaite, Anna Phan, Aanisah Rahim, Clare Thomas, Alisha Wadiwalla and Rhiannon Whipps.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.