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Disentangling the interaction of sex differences and hemispheric specialization for face processing - Evidence from
Joanna Stasch1, Bettina Mohr2, Andres H Neuhaus3
1Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany; Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Berlin, Germany.
Biological Psychology
|June 17, 2018
Summary
Sex differences impact face recognition. Men show stronger hemispheric lateralization in face processing, while women exhibit more bilateral activation patterns, particularly in the left hemisphere during specific visual field presentations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Behavior
Background:
- Inconsistent findings in face processing lateralization may stem from sex differences.
- Event-related potential studies suggest men have more asymmetric visual cortex functioning during face encoding than women.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of sex differences on hemispheric specialization in face recognition.
- To explore how men and women process faces differently across visual fields.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-four healthy participants (27 males, 27 females) performed a face familiarity task.
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) and behavioral responses were measured using lateralized tachistoscopic presentation (unilateral and bilateral).
Main Results:
- Both sexes showed a clear N170 component, a marker of face processing.
- No hemispheric N170 differences were found in bilateral presentation.
- Women showed greater left-hemispheric N170 activity in the right visual field, indicating enhanced left-hemisphere involvement.
- Men did not exhibit this left-hemispheric modulation, suggesting stronger overall lateralization.
Conclusions:
- Results indicate stronger hemispheric lateralization for face processing in men compared to women.
- Sex differences play a significant role in the hemispheric specialization of face recognition.
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