Holistic processing for left–right composite faces in Chinese and Caucasian observers

Abstract

© 2014, Taylor & Francis. In Caucasian individuals, holistic processing and face recognition is lateralized to the right hemisphere, whereas part-based processing and word recognition is lateralized to the left hemisphere. Whether this hemispheric complementarity holds more generally is unclear. We compare the hemispheric basis of holistic processing of faces in Caucasian and Chinese observers (who, as readers of logographic script, may have different hemispheric organization). Participants made same/different judgements about the left/right halves of two sequentially presented composite faces (comprised of the left half of one face and the right half of another face) when the halves were aligned or were misaligned. There was a larger congruency effect for aligned than misaligned faces, reflecting significant holistic processing, and this was equivalent for face halves judged in the right and left visual fields and for Caucasian and Chinese observers. This same result was replicated in a second study with Caucasian observers, in which we presented the cue simultaneous with the study face, rather than simultaneous with the test face. These findings reflect equal participation of both hemispheres in holistic face perception and suggest that orthographic experience does not necessarily affect the hemispheric basis of holistic processing.