Individual differences in cerebral asymmetries for facial recognition.

In the recognition of tachistoscopically presented unmasked upright faces, some individuals showed a RVF, i.e., left-hemisphere advantage while others showed a LVF, i.e., right-hemisphere advantage. Individuals with a LVF advantage in recognition of these faces showed an increase in errors when the faces were inverted whereas those with a RVF advantage did not. Individuals with a RVF advantage in recognition of the unmasked upright faces showed a greater increase in errors when individual features of the faces were masked than those with a LVF advantage. These results confirmed the view that individuals with a RVF advantage in facial recognition were using an analytic strategy in processing the stimuli whereas those with a LVF advantage were using a holistic strategy.