The effects of hemispheric asymmetries and depression on the perception of emotion

Investigated hemispheric asymmetries in the perception of positive and negative emotion. The moderating effect of depression on hemispheric asymmetries was also examined. 40 undergraduates were presented with happy and sad faces using a bilateral visual half-field design. 18 Ss were classified as depressed and 22 as nondepressed, based on scores on the Beck Depression Inventory. For nondepressed Ss, a right hemisphere advantage emerged for the speed of processing open- and close-mouth sad expressions. For depressed Ss, a right hemisphere advantage emerged for the speed of processing open-mouth sad expressions. In addition, a right hemisphere advantage for accuracy in identifying sad expressions was found for all Ss. No visual field differences were found for processing happy expressions