Equivalent perceptual asymmetries for free viewing of positive and negative emotional expressions in chimeric faces.
Research employing chimeric stimuli (in which smiling and neutral half-faces are paired) has demonstrated greater influence of the left half-face in determining perceived intensity of expression. To date, no studies have examined how emotional expressions other than happiness are perceived in this format. Right-handed subjects viewed chimeric faces depicting both positive (happiness, pleasant surprise) and negative (sadness, anger) emotions in a free vision task. Results indicated a left half-face bias for all four emotions, supporting the hypothesis of a greater right hemisphere role in emotional perception. The lack of differences in strength of left half-face bias as a function of the specific emotion depicted suggests that results obtained with typical chimeric half-face paradigms can be generalized to emotions other than happiness.
Christman
S D
SD
Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, OH 43606.
Hackworth
M D
MD
D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*