Biology of Visual Fields and Facial Processing (Lecture Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering visual field-right/left hemisphere relationships, facial and emotional processing, and practical implications for perception and appearance.

Left visual field

The portion of the visual field that projects to the right hemisphere; information from this field is prioritized by the right hemisphere for facial processing and tends to map to the right side of the face.

Right visual field

The portion of the visual field that projects to the left hemisphere; information from this field is processed primarily by the left hemisphere and corresponds to the left side of the face in judgments.

Right hemisphere

The cerebral hemisphere that processes information from the left visual field and is commonly dominant for facial recognition and emotional processing in many people.

Left hemisphere

The cerebral hemisphere that processes information from the right visual field and can be dominant for facial processing in some individuals.

Hemispheric dominance

A pattern where one cerebral hemisphere steers a cognitive function more than the other; facial processing is often right-hemisphere dominant in many people.

Facial processing

Brain operations that interpret facial features and expressions; tends to be right-hemisphere dominant for many observers.

Emotional processing

Neural processing of emotions; in individuals with higher facial-processing scores, this may also show right-hemisphere dominance.

Contralateral processing

Visual information from each visual field is transmitted to the opposite hemisphere (left field → right hemisphere; right field → left hemisphere).

Retinal image inversion

The image projected on the retina is upside down and inverted; the brain corrects this to produce upright perception.

Mirror image makeup

Applying makeup while looking in a mirror, which reverses left and right relative to how others see you and affects which facial areas you focus on.

Video camera makeup

Applying makeup while viewing yourself through a camera, showing how others see you and potentially guiding which side of the face is emphasized.

Facial asymmetry

Human faces are not perfectly symmetrical; self-image is often based on the mirror image rather than photos, influencing appearance judgments.