Are there sex differences in ERPs related to processing empathy-evoking pictures?

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate sex differences in the temporal dynamics of experiencing empathy by using electrophysiological measurements.

METHODS

Twenty-five females and 27 males viewed 414 pictures of the International affective picture system varying in emotional valence (positive, negative and neutral) and presence of humans (human and scenes). EEG event related potentials (ERPs) were obtained and correlations were computed with self-reported empathy.

RESULTS

Compared to males, females showed increased anterior N2 and parietal LPP amplitudes to humans contrasted with scenes (independent of emotional valence) and to negative contrasted with neutral emotions (independent of human presence). Independent of sex the N1 and anterior N2 were specifically increased for positive human emotions and the parietal LPP for negative human emotions. Across sexes, the N2 and LPP human emotion effects and LPP human effects were associated with self-reported affective empathy, but not with cognitive empathy.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides electrophysiological evidence that women prioritize the processing of socially relevant and negative emotional information, but that women did not show enhanced brain potentials to pictures with positive or negative emotions in humans.