Laterality in familiar face recognition: a meta-analysis.

An extensive series of experiments has recently led to the hypothesis that face recognition, which had been considered a right-hemisphere specialization, may actually be bilaterally processed in the two hemispheres. In the present study an attempt was made to solve the conundrum of the laterality of face recognition by performing a meta-analysis on studies of familiar face recognition. Results of six studies measuring reaction time of familiar face naming and of eleven studies measuring accuracy of familiar face naming were transformed to standard Z scores. The average Z scores for reaction time and for accuracy were then tested for their significance. The results suggested that face recognition is not lateralized. This conclusion is consistent with theories of bihemispheric cognitive resources and with the latest brain-imaging data.