An improved technique for creating hemifacial chimeras

In numerous studies, facial composites of the right and left hemifaces have been used to explore lateral differences in facial expressions. In the majority of these studies, a single technique has been used to create the stimuli: “Wolff’s split half technique,” which was devised at the beginning of the century. Chimeras thus made are weakened by several confounding factors (e.g., hair form, background, shadows), which are unrelated to the original stimuli and consequently may interfere with the examination of subtle facial expressions. This paper offers a modified method using computer graphics that seems to solve such drawbacks.