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Abstract:
We examined the processing of facial expressions of pain and anger in 8-month-old infants and adults by measuring eventrelated
brain potentials (ERPs) and frontal EEG alpha asymmetry. The ERP results revealed that while adults showed a late
positive potential (LPP) to emotional expressions that was enhanced to pain expressions, reflecting increased evaluation
and emotional arousal to pain expressions, infants showed a negative component (Nc) to emotional expressions that was
enhanced to angry expressions, reflecting increased allocation of attention to angry faces. Moreover, infants and adults
showed opposite patterns in their frontal asymmetry responses to pain and anger, suggesting developmental differences in
the motivational processes engendered by these facial expressions. These findings are discussed in the light of associated
individual differences in infant temperament and adult dispositional empathy.