Article
Communication Apprehension and Resting Alpha Range Asymmetry in the Anterior Cortex.
Communication Education
(2011)
Abstract
In this study, we examined the relationship between trait-like communication apprehension (CA) and resting alpha range asymmetry in the anterior cortex (AC). Although theory and research in cognitive neuroscience suggest that asymmetry in the AC constitutes a relatively stable, inborn, substrate of emotion, some studies indicate that asymmetry can be increased by experimentally induced transitory anxiety. Transitory anxiety produced by interaction with strangers covaries with trait-like CA, raising questions regarding whether asymmetrical electrical activity in the AC during data collection represents resting levels as assumed in the literature or transitory reactions to dyadic interaction with the experimenter. Because the question if unanswered poses issues for theory and approaches to remediation, we computed correlations among alpha range asymmetry in the AC gathered by electroencephalograph (EEG) while participants were at rest, transitory anxiety scores referring to the participants’ interactions with the experimenter, and CA scores gathered four weeks earlier. Results revealed a partial correlation based on disattenuated correlations, r=.51, p<.05, between CA and EEG scores when the effects of transitory anxiety due to participant-experimenter interaction were removed.
Keywords
- Communication Apprehension,
- Electroencephalograph,
- Meta-Analysis,
- Asymmetry Anterior Cortex,
- Transitory Anxiety
Disciplines
Publication Date
January 10, 2011
DOI
10.1080/03634523.2011.563389
Citation Information
Michael J. Beatty, Alan D. Heisel, Robert J. Lewis, Michelle E. Pence, et al.. "Communication Apprehension and Resting Alpha Range Asymmetry in the Anterior Cortex." Communication Education Vol. 60 Iss. 4 (2011) p. 441 - 460 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/alan-heisel/10/