Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the neural mechanisms underlying gender differences in recognizing emotional expressions conveyed through body language. Utilizing electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings, we examined the impact of gender on neural responses through time-frequency analysis and network analysis to uncover gender disparities in bodily emotion recognition. METHODS: The study included 34 participants, consisting of 18 males and 16 females. A 2 × 2 mixed design was employed, with gender (male and female) and bodily emotion (happy and sad) as the independent variables. Both behavioral and EEG data were collected simultaneously. RESULTS: Males demonstrated more stable brain activity patterns when recognizing different bodily emotions, while females showed more intricate and highly interconnected brain activity networks, especially when identifying negative emotions like sadness. Differences based on gender were also observed in the significance of brain regions; males had greater importance in central brain areas, whereas females exhibited higher significance in the parietal lobe. CONCLUSION: Gender differences do influence the recognition of bodily emotions to some extent. The primary aim of this study was to explore the neural mechanisms underlying gender differences in bodily emotion recognition, with a particular focus on time-frequency analysis and network analysis based on electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. By elucidating the role of gender in cognitive development, this study contributes to early detection and intervention.