Cite as:
de Haan E H F, Kollenburg E N M, 2000, "Lateralised processing of the internal and external facial features of personally familiar and unfamiliar faces: a visual half-field study" Perception 29 ECVP Abstract Supplement

Lateralised processing of the internal and external facial features of personally familiar and unfamiliar faces: a visual half-field study

E H F de Haan, E N M Kollenburg

In this visual half-field experiment, we investigated possible differences between the left and the right hemisphere in the processing of the internal and external features of familiar and unfamiliar faces. On the basis of previous studies in which famous and unknown faces have been used, it was hypothesised that the right hemisphere is superior to the left hemisphere and that both hemispheres use the same qualitative mode of processing; that is the internal features are more important for the matching of familiar faces, while external and internal features are equally important for the matching of unfamiliar faces.

In this experiment, personally familiar faces, rather than famous faces, have been used. There are several reasons why personally familiar faces are more appropriate stimuli to investigate face processing, and recent studies with personally familiar faces have produced new insights. The results of the present study showed that, under these experimental conditions, no overall visual field effect occurred, but, more importantly, that face processing in the left hemisphere differed qualitatively from that in the right hemisphere.

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