Temporal integration in face perception: Evidence of configural processing of temporally separated face parts.

AbstractIntegrating the spatiotemporal information acquired from the highly dynamic world around us is essential to navigate, reason, and decide properly. Although this is particularly important in a face-to-face conversation, very little research to date has specifically examined the neural correlates of temporal integration in dynamic face perception. Here we present statistically robust observations regarding the brain activations measured via electroencephalography (EEG) that are specific to the temporal integration. To that end, we generate videos of neutral faces of individuals and non-face objects, modulate the contrast of the even and odd frames at two specific frequencies ($$f_1$$ f 1 and $$f_2$$ f 2 ) in an interlaced manner, and measure the steady-state visual evoked potential as participants view the videos. Then, we analyze the intermodulation components (IMs: ($$nf_1\pm mf_2$$ n f 1 ± m f 2 ), a linear combination of the fundamentals with integer multipliers) that consequently reflect the nonlinear processing and indicate temporal integration by design. We show that electrodes around the medial temporal, inferior, and medial frontal areas respond strongly and selectively when viewing dynamic faces, which manifests the essential processes underlying our ability to perceive and understand our social world. The generation of IMs is only possible if even and odd frames are processed in succession and integrated temporally, therefore, the strong IMs in our frequency spectrum analysis show that the time between frames (1/60 s) is sufficient for temporal integration.

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Processing the Trees and the Forest during Initial Stages of Face Perception: Electrophysiological Evidence

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn.2006.18.8.1406 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 1406-1421 ◽

Cited By ~ 59

Author(s):

Shlomo Bentin ◽

Yulia Golland ◽

Anastasia Flevaris ◽

Lynn C. Robertson ◽

Morris Moscovitch

Keyword(s):

Face Perception ◽

Face Processing ◽

Spatial Relations ◽

Event Related Potential ◽

Configural Processing ◽

Face Identification ◽

Ample Evidence ◽

Potential Component ◽

Processing Resources ◽

Global And Local

Although configural processing is considered a hallmark of normal face perception in humans, there is ample evidence that processing face components also contributes to face recognition and identification. Indeed, most contemporary models posit a dual-code view in which face identification relies on the analysis of individual face components as well as the spatial relations between them. We explored the interplay between processing face configurations and inner face components by recording the N170, an event-related potential component that manifests early detection of faces. In contrast to a robust N170 effect elicited by line-drawn schematic faces compared to line-drawn schematic objects, no N170 effect was found if a pair of small objects substituted for the eyes in schematic faces. However, if a pair of two miniaturized faces substituted for the eyes, the N170 effect was restored. Additional experiments ruled out an explanation on the basis of miniaturized faces attracting attention independent of their location in a face-like configuration and show that global and local face characteristics compete for processing resources when in conflict. The results are discussed as they relate to normal and abnormal face processing.

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The two sides of face perception: Asymmetric cerebral activation associated with featural and configural processing

NeuroImage ◽

10.1016/s1053-8119(00)91642-2 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. S712

Author(s):

Ken A. Paller ◽

Michael W. Parsons ◽

Marcia Grabowecky ◽

Andrew R. Mayer ◽

Stephen M. Rao

Keyword(s):

Face Perception ◽

Configural Processing ◽

Cerebral Activation ◽

Two Sides

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Of Mannequins and Men

Social Psychological and Personality Science ◽

10.1177/1948550616671404 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 183-190 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Jason C. Deska ◽

Steven M. Almaraz ◽

Kurt Hugenberg

Keyword(s):

Face Perception ◽

Face Processing ◽

Configural Processing ◽

Perceptual Similarity ◽

Face Inversion ◽

Interactive Product ◽

Spontaneous Activation ◽

Human Faces ◽

Configural Face Processing ◽

Processing Mechanisms

Recent research has demonstrated that ascribing minds to humanlike stimuli is a product of both their perceptual similarity to human faces and whether they engaged configural face processing. We present the findings of two experiments in which we both manipulate the amount of humanlike features in faces (in a doll-to-human morph continuum) and manipulate perceivers’ ability to employ configural face processing (via face inversion) while measuring explicit ratings of mind ascription (Study 1) and the spontaneous activation of humanlike concepts (Study 2). In both studies, we find novel evidence that ascribing minds to entities is an interactive product of both having strong perceptual similarity to human faces and being processed using configural processing mechanisms typical of normal face perception. In short, ascribing mind to others is bounded jointly by the featural cues of the target and by processes employed by the perceiver.

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Does Cross-Race Contact Improve Cross-Race Face Perception? A Meta-Analysis of the Cross-Race Deficit and Contact

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin ◽

10.1177/01461672211024463 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 014616722110244

Author(s):

Balbir Singh ◽

Christopher Mellinger ◽

Holly A. Earls ◽

Janis Tran ◽

Brighid Bardsley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Face Perception ◽

Additional Data ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Configural Processing ◽

Theoretical Predictions ◽

The Cross ◽

The Relationship ◽

Normal Processing

Contact with racial outgroups is thought to reduce the cross-race recognition deficit (CRD), the tendency for people to recognize same-race (i.e., ingroup) faces more accurately than cross-race (i.e., outgroup) faces. In 2001, Meissner and Brigham conducted a meta-analysis in which they examined this question and found a meta-analytic effect of r = −.13. We conduct a new meta-analysis based on 20 years of additional data to update the estimate of this relationship and examine theoretical and methodological moderators of the effect. We find a meta-analytic effect of r = −.15. In line with theoretical predictions, we find some evidence that the magnitude of this relationship is stronger when contact occurs during childhood rather than adulthood. We find no evidence that the relationship differs for measures of holistic/configural processing compared with normal processing. Finally, we find that the magnitude of the relationship depends on the operationalization of contact and that it is strongest when contact is manipulated. We consider recommendations for further research on this topic.

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Behavioral and neural markers of social vision

10.1101/2021.06.09.447707 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Etienne Abassi ◽

Liuba Papeo

Keyword(s):

Social Cognition ◽

Face Perception ◽

Specific Activity ◽

Individual Performance ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Configural Processing ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Face To Face ◽

Socially Relevant ◽

The Individual

Research on face perception has revealed highly specialized visual mechanisms such as configural processing, and provided markers of interindividual differences -including disease risks and alterations- in visuoperceptual abilities that traffic in social cognition. Is face perception unique in degree or kind of mechanisms, and in its relevance for social cognition? Combining fMRI and behavioral methods, we address the processing of an uncharted class of socially relevant stimuli: minimal social scenes involving configurations of two bodies spatially close and face-to-face. We report category-specific activity for facing (vs. non-facing) two-body configurations in visual cortex. That activity shows face-like signatures of configural processing -i.e., stronger response and greater susceptibility to stimulus inversion for facing (vs. non-facing) dyads-, and is predicted by performance-based measures of body-dyad perception. Moreover, individual performance in body-dyad perception is reliable, stable-over-time and correlated with the individual social sensitivity, coarsely captured by the Autism-Spectrum Quotient. Further analyses clarify the relationship between single-body and body-dyad perception. We propose that facing dyads are processed with the same high specialization of the most biologically/socially relevant stimuli: faces. Like face perception, facing-dyad perception can provide a measure of basic (visual) processes that lay the foundations for understanding others, their relationships and interactions.

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Face Inversion Effect Emerges Under Critical Configural Discrepancy

Swiss Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1024/1421-0185/a000018 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 69 (3) ◽

pp. 161-167 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jisien Yang ◽

Adrian Schwaninger

Keyword(s):

Face Recognition ◽

Face Processing ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Inversion Effect ◽

Configural Processing ◽

Major Contributor ◽

Face Inversion Effect ◽

Configural Information ◽

Face Inversion ◽

The Face

Configural processing has been considered the major contributor to the face inversion effect (FIE) in face recognition. However, most researchers have only obtained the FIE with one specific ratio of configural alteration. It remains unclear whether the ratio of configural alteration itself can mediate the occurrence of the FIE. We aimed to clarify this issue by manipulating the configural information parametrically using six different ratios, ranging from 4% to 24%. Participants were asked to judge whether a pair of faces were entirely identical or different. The paired faces that were to be compared were presented either simultaneously (Experiment 1) or sequentially (Experiment 2). Both experiments revealed that the FIE was observed only when the ratio of configural alteration was in the intermediate range. These results indicate that even though the FIE has been frequently adopted as an index to examine the underlying mechanism of face processing, the emergence of the FIE is not robust with any configural alteration but dependent on the ratio of configural alteration.

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