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Perceiver and poser asymmetries in processing facial emotion
J C Borod1, J St Clair, E Koff
1Psychology Department, Queens College, Flushing, NY 11367.
Brain and Cognition
|July 1, 1990
Summary
This study reveals that reversed facial expressions are perceived as more left-sided, particularly in normal controls and left brain-damaged individuals. Right brain-damaged individuals showed no significant facial expression lateralization.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Facial emotion processing involves complex neural pathways.
- Brain damage can significantly impact emotional expression and perception.
- Hemispheric asymmetries in the brain may influence emotional processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate perceiver and poser asymmetries in processing facial emotion.
- To examine how brain damage (left or right) affects facial emotion expression.
- To determine if orientation affects the perception of facial emotional asymmetry.
Main Methods:
- Recruited right-handed males: normal controls (NC), left brain-damaged (LBD), and right brain-damaged (RBD).
- Recorded posers expressing happiness and anger.
- Perceivers rated facial expression asymmetry in original and reversed orientations.
Main Results:
- Expressions in reversed orientation were rated as more left-sided than in original orientation.
- NCs and LBDs showed significantly more intense expressions on the left hemiface.
- RBDs did not exhibit significant lateralization in facial expression production.
Conclusions:
- Facial emotion perception is influenced by orientation, with a left hemispace bias observed.
- Left brain hemisphere dominance may play a role in the intensity of facial emotional expression.
- Right brain damage does not appear to lateralize facial emotion production.