title: Self-face identification is increased with left hand responses.
abstract: Evidence suggests that autobiographical memory, self-related semantic category judgements, and self-identification tasks may be lateralised, with preferential activity in the right anterior temporal and prefrontal cortex. To test this hypothesis, participants (N=10) were presented with morphed images of themselves (self) combined with a famous face. A further set of images was generated in which the face of one of the participant's co-workers (familiar) was combined with a famous face. When compared to morphed images composed of a familiar face, the participants identified images less often as being famous if the images were composed of self, but only when responding with their left hands. This greater "self-effect" found in left-hand responses may imply that when the right hemisphere is preferentially active, participants have a tendency to refer images to self. These data provide further support for a preferential role of the right hemisphere in processing self-related material.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, USA. jkeenan@caregroup.harvard.edu
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Keenan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ganis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Freund
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pascual-Leone