Men are easier to read: Frontal alpha asymmetry reveals Neuroticism, but only in men

The relationship between EEG frontal alpha asymmetry and Big Five personality traits was investigated on a large student sample ( n  = 208, 69 men). Alpha asymmetry is a widely used index of affective and motivational processes that is also related to both vulnerability and symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders. However, findings involving conceptually relevant personality traits such as behavioral inhibition and activation have been mixed. Furthermore, only a few studies have employed the Five-Factor Model. In the current sample asymmetry was negatively correlated with Neuroticism ( r  = −.14, p r  = −.34, p r  = −.04, p  = .68). This distinction could not be explained by treating experimenter’s gender as a moderator of the relationship between personality and asymmetry. Taken together, these findings point towards possible gender-specific involvement of various underpinnings of Neuroticism (e.g. behavioral inhibition and worry).