Asymmetry in Perception of the Sides of the Human Face

Abstract

The objective of this research was to determine if systematic differences occur in the way people ascribe meaning to right and left sides of the human face. Twenty-two faces, bilaterally symmetrical, were constructed from 11 photographs. These left- and right-constructed faces were rated 1 wk. apart by 26 raters on nine bipolar adjective scales selected for the evaluative, potency, and activity dimensions of the semantic differential (Osgood, 1961). Multivariate F tests indicated that on seven of the nine bipolar scales the left-and right-sided faces received significantly different ratings. Left facial constructions were rated as healthier, stronger, harder, more active, more excitable, and in the direction of bad on the good-bad scale. Right facial constructions were rated more sickly, weaker, more feminine, softer, more passive, calmer, and in the good direction on the good-bad scale.