Configural processing of faces in the left and the right cerebral hemispheres. 1984

J Sergent

This study investigates the rules by which the component features of faces are combined when presented in the left or the right visual field, and it examines the validity of the analytic-holistic processing dichotomy, using concepts elaborated by Garner (1978, 1981) to specify stimulus properties and models of similarity relations as performance criteria. Latency measures of dissimilarity, obtained for the two visual fields, among a set of eight faces varying on three dimensions of two levels each, were fitted to the dominance metric model, the feature-matching model, the city-block distance metric model, and the Euclidean distance metric model. In addition to a right-visual-field superiority in different responses, a maximum likelihood estimation procedure showed that, for each subject and each visual field, the Euclidean model provided the best fit of the data, suggesting that the faces were compared in terms of their overall similarity. Moreover, the spatial representations of the results revealed interactions among the component facial features in the processing of faces. Taken together, these two findings indicate that faces initially projected to the right or to the left hemisphere were not processed analytically but in terms of their gestalt.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008960 Models, Psychological Theoretical representations that simulate psychological processes and/or social processes. These include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment. Model, Mental,Model, Psychological,Models, Mental,Models, Psychologic,Psychological Models,Mental Model,Mental Models,Model, Psychologic,Psychologic Model,Psychologic Models,Psychological Model
D010364 Pattern Recognition, Visual Mental process to visually perceive a critical number of facts (the pattern), such as characters, shapes, displays, or designs. Recognition, Visual Pattern,Visual Pattern Recognition
D004292 Dominance, Cerebral Dominance of one cerebral hemisphere over the other in cerebral functions. Cerebral Dominance,Hemispheric Specialization,Dominances, Cerebral,Specialization, Hemispheric
D005145 Face The anterior portion of the head that includes the skin, muscles, and structures of the forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, and jaw. Faces
D005863 Gestalt Theory A system which emphasizes that experience and behavior contain basic patterns and relationships which cannot be reduced to simpler components; that is, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Gestalt Theories,Theories, Gestalt,Theory, Gestalt
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D014794 Visual Fields The total area or space visible in a person's peripheral vision with the eye looking straightforward. Field, Visual,Fields, Visual,Visual Field
D014796 Visual Perception The selecting and organizing of visual stimuli based on the individual's past experience. Visual Processing,Perception, Visual,Processing, Visual
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