Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40102897›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2025

Facial emotion processing hemispheric bias is weakly associated with handedness, autistic traits and biological sex, but not age.

B E Speranza, M Do, A T Hill, P H Donaldson, P G Enticott, M Kirkovski

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Article in BMC psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

B E SperanzaCognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia. b.speranza@deakin.edu.au.
M DoCognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia.
A T HillCognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia.
P H DonaldsonCognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia.
P G EnticottCognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia.
M KirkovskiCognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRight-hemisphere brain regions are strongly implicated in facial emotion processing (FEP), a phenomenon termed right-hemispheric bias. Variability in FEP hemispheric bias is thought to underpin differences in facial emotion recognition ability and has been associated with age, handedness, biological sex, and autistic traits. However, findings from research to date investigating factors associated with FEP hemispheric bias have been inconsistent.

objectiveTo examine if FEP hemispheric bias can be predicted by individual factors such as age, biological sex, handedness, and autistic traits.

methods427 adults recruited from the general population aged 18-67 years completed the Autism-spectrum Quotient. We also assessed covariates previously linked with FEP hemispheric bias including age, handedness, and biological sex. FEP hemispheric bias was indexed using laterality quotients calculated from a Chimeric Faces Task, where participants indicated which of two identical (but mirrored) half-emotional half-neutral (no emotion) chimeric faces were more emotive.

resultsLinear regression models revealed that (1) handedness predicted FEP hemispheric choice bias, (2) the attention switching Autism-spectrum Quotient subscale predicted FEP hemispheric reaction time bias, and (3) the imagination Autism-spectrum Quotient subscale predicted FEP hemispheric reaction time bias for males, but not females.

conclusionsThese findings indicate that the relationship between autistic traits and FEP hemispheric bias is nuanced. Additionally, handedness influences hemispheric bias effects during FEP. Future research should endeavour to investigate if FEP hemispheric bias is dependent on the emotion being observed and consider using more direct measures of hemispheric bias.

Indexed as

Autistic DisorderEmotionsFacial ExpressionFacial RecognitionFunctional LateralityAdolescentAdultAgedAge FactorsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedReaction TimeSex FactorsYoung AdultAutismAutistic traitsEmotion processingHandednessHemispheric asymmetryHemispheric lateralityHemispheric specialisationRight-hemispheric biasSocial cognition

Identifiers

PMID40102897
PMCPMC11921578

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.