The Influences of Brain Dominance and Biological Sex on Emotional Expressivity, Sensitivity, and Control

Abstract

Nonverbal communication is the primary channel for the communication of emotion. The abilities to express, control, and decode emotions are important social skills. In this study, we investigated the effects of hemispheric brain dominance and sex on emotional social skills, specifically emotional expressivity, sensitivity, and control. Using the measurements of handedness, we classified participants as being standard, mixed, or anomalous dominant. We presumed that hemispheric brain dominance and sex would interact to influence emotional expressivity, sensitivity, and control. Analysis revealed that brain dominance and sex interacted to influence negative emotional expressivity and emotional control. Specifically, mixed dominant (MD) males scored highest in negative emotional expressivity and lowest in emotional control, whereas MD females scored lowest on negative emotional expressivity and second highest on emotional control. In general, MD men and women reported behaviors opposite of traditional sex differences in emotional expression.

Keywords:

• Brain Dominance
• Emotional Control
• Emotional Expression
• Emotional Sensitivity
• Social Skills

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the assistance of Laura Guerrero and Susie Nicholson.

Notes

Note. ¹Internal reliability estimates are based on Cronbach's alpha.

²Variables were measured on seven-point scales wherein higher values indicate a greater frequency or intensity of the variable.

*p < .01 (two-tailed).

Notes. Scores are on a theoretic scale of 1 to 7, wherein higher scores indicate greater negative emotion expressivity. SD = standard dominance; MD = mixed dominance; AD = anomalous dominance. Mean scores marked with different subscripts differ significantly from each other (p < .05), per Tukey-HSD test.

Notes. Scores are on a theoretic scale of 1 to 7, wherein higher scores indicate greater skill in emotional control. SD = standard dominance; MD = mixed dominance; AD = anomalous dominance. Mean scores marked with subscript a differ significantly from those marked with subscript b (p < .05), per Tukey-HSD test. Mean scores marked with subscript c differ significantly from those marked with subscript d (p < .05), per Tukey-HSD test.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alan C. Mikkelson

Alan C. Mikkelson (PhD, Arizona State University, 2006) is an assistant professor of speech communication at Whitworth College.

Lisa Farinelli

Lisa Farinelli (MA, Arizona State University, 2004) and Angela G. La Valley (MA, University of Colorado-Boulder, 2003) are doctoral students in human communication at Arizona State University.

Angela G. La Valley

Lisa Farinelli (MA, Arizona State University, 2004) and Angela G. La Valley (MA, University of Colorado-Boulder, 2003) are doctoral students in human communication at Arizona State University.