Arguments Against a Configural Processing Account of Familiar Face Recognition

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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Recognising Familiar Faces Out of Context

Perception ◽

10.1177/0301006620984326 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 174-177

Author(s):

Sarah Laurence ◽

Jordyn Eyre ◽

Ailsa Strathie

Keyword(s):

Face Recognition ◽

Recognition Test ◽

Familiar Face

Expertise in familiar face recognition has been well-documented in several studies. Here, we examined the role of context using a surprise lecturer recognition test. Across two experiments, we found few students recognised their lecturer when they were unexpected, but accuracy was higher when the lecturer was preceded by a prompt. Our findings suggest that familiar face recognition can be poor in unexpected contexts.

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Cognitive models of familiar face recognition and naming

The Cognitive Psychology of Proper Names ◽

10.4324/9780203132364-6 ◽

2002 ◽

pp. 47-63

Keyword(s):

Face Recognition ◽

Cognitive Models ◽

Familiar Face

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Familiar face recognition

Craniofacial Identification ◽

10.1017/cbo9781139049566.001 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vicki Bruce

Keyword(s):

Face Recognition ◽

Familiar Face

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Objective Patterns of Face Recognition Deficits in 165 Adults with Self-Reported Developmental Prosopagnosia

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci9060133 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 133 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Sarah Bate ◽

Rachel J. Bennetts ◽

Nicola Gregory ◽

Jeremy J. Tree ◽

Ebony Murray ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Face Recognition ◽

Face Perception ◽

Semantic Processing ◽

Severe Form ◽

Short Term ◽

Face Memory ◽

Familiar Face ◽

Unfamiliar Face ◽

Prevalent Form

In the last 15 years, increasing numbers of individuals have self-referred to research laboratories in the belief that they experience severe everyday difficulties with face recognition. The condition “developmental prosopagnosia” (DP) is typically diagnosed when impairment is identified on at least two objective face-processing tests, usually involving assessments of face perception, unfamiliar face memory, and famous face recognition. While existing evidence suggests that some individuals may have a mnemonic form of prosopagnosia, it is also possible that other subtypes exist. The current study assessed 165 adults who believe they experience DP, and 38% of the sample were impaired on at least two of the tests outlined above. While statistical dissociations between face perception and face memory were only observed in four cases, a further 25% of the sample displayed dissociations between impaired famous face recognition and intact short-term unfamiliar face memory and face perception. We discuss whether this pattern of findings reflects (a) limitations within dominant diagnostic tests and protocols, (b) a less severe form of DP, or (c) a currently unrecognized but prevalent form of the condition that affects long-term face memory, familiar face recognition or semantic processing.

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ERP study of viewpoint-independence in familiar-face recognition

International Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2008.03.009 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 69 (2) ◽

pp. 119-126 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Makoto Miyakoshi ◽

Noriaki Kanayama ◽

Michio Nomura ◽

Tetsuya Iidaka ◽

Hideki Ohira

Keyword(s):

Face Recognition ◽

Familiar Face

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Self- or familiar-face recognition advantage? New insight using ambient images

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology ◽

10.1080/17470218.2017.1327982 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 71 (6) ◽

pp. 1396-1404 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Catherine Bortolon ◽

Siméon Lorieux ◽

Stéphane Raffard

Keyword(s):

Face Recognition ◽

Graduate Students ◽

Matching Task ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Familiarity Effect ◽

Familiar Face ◽

The Past ◽

The Face ◽

First Time ◽

Unfamiliar Faces

Self-face recognition has been widely explored in the past few years. Nevertheless, the current literature relies on the use of standardized photographs which do not represent daily-life face recognition. Therefore, we aim for the first time to evaluate self-face processing in healthy individuals using natural/ambient images which contain variations in the environment and in the face itself. In total, 40 undergraduate and graduate students performed a forced delayed-matching task, including images of one’s own face, friend, famous and unknown individuals. For both reaction time and accuracy, results showed that participants were faster and more accurate when matching different images of their own face compared to both famous and unfamiliar faces. Nevertheless, no significant differences were found between self-face and friend-face and between friend-face and famous-face. They were also faster and more accurate when matching friend and famous faces compared to unfamiliar faces. Our results suggest that faster and more accurate responses to self-face might be better explained by a familiarity effect – that is, (1) the result of frequent exposition to one’s own image through mirror and photos, (2) a more robust mental representation of one’s own face and (3) strong face recognition units as for other familiar faces.

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