L’Asymétrie du Visage Humain: État de la Question

[Asymmetry of the Human Face: A Review]

In this review, data are collected concerning the asymmetry of the human face. Fifty years ago. a first form of asymmetry was established suggesting that the right half-face indicates the expression of the whole face more precisely than the left halfface. This asymmetry seems nevertheless to be an artifact resulting from the visual left hemilield superiority of the perceiver in perception of faces. More recently, a second asymmetry is described indicating that the left half of the face, is more expressive than the right one. It appears thus that the right cerebral hemisphere is dominant in the production of facial expressions and the same hemisphere seems to be dominant in the perception of faces and facial expressions. The face-to-face situation produces nevertheless a paradox: We don’t look at the more expressive half-face.