Facial Recognition and Visual Processing as We Age: Using the Thatcher Illusion with Famous and Non-Famous Faces

Richard E Hicks,Mark Bahr,Victoria Alexander

doi:10.5539/ijps.v9n2p26

Abstract

This paper reports a study examining preferred visual processes in recognition of facial features in older vs younger age groups, using Thatcherised images of famous and non-famous people in the one study. The aims were to determine whether decline in visual system processing occurs increasingly as we grow older, and whether there is less decline in recognition of famous (or familiar) faces. Three groups (younger, middle-old and older) made up the sample of 73 people (aged 19-82 years). Visual decline in face recognition across the age groups was assessed based on the Thatcher illusion—using four famous and four non-famous faces either with normal features or with distorted features. The faces were presented one at a time on computer screen, and participants were asked to judge whether the face was distorted (eyes and/or mouth not aligned in relation to the face); in addition, time taken to decision (latency) was also measured. Decline was found in visual processing such that older individuals gave limited attention to facial details (processing faces holistically, with detail errors) and they took longer to decide. Whether the faces were famous or not did not have significant effects on the decisions and there was no interaction with age, though famous faces were given longer attention. Our visual system processes decline as we age in that we give less attention to details and more to holistic processing and so make more errors in recognition. Implications for treatment or amelioration of the effects are discussed.

Highlights

1.1 Introduction—Facial Recognition and Decline with AgeThe current paper reports the results of a study on how facial recognition, visual processing of features, and age are related to each other, across both familiar and non-familiar faces.There is evidence that as we age our ability to recognise faces declines and this may be related to a decline in the ability to identify facial features
The current study has confirmed old information on visual processing
We seem to spend more time examining well known or familiar faces than unknown faces, indicating we are processing something in the faces- though as this study and others have shown, we seem to do this with growing inaccuracy as we age. These results have potential implications for earlier-age assessment and earlier and more effective pharmacological and-or behavioural and psychological interventions that can help slow the declines perceived in visual processing in face recognition

Summary

Introduction

1.1 Introduction—Facial Recognition and Decline with AgeThe current paper reports the results of a study on how facial recognition, visual processing of features, and age are related to each other, across both familiar and non-familiar faces.There is evidence that as we age our ability to recognise faces declines and this may be related to a decline in the ability to identify facial features. There is indication (e.g., Andersen & Ni, 2008) that visual processing declines with age; this decline can occur at the same time as a decline in the ability to recognise emotions in faces and may be a contributor to errors we make in assessing emotions (cf., Alexander, Bahr, & Hicks, 2014; Calder et al, 2003; Iidaka et al, 2002; Issacowitz et al, 2007; Wright et al, 2006). In terms of visual processing of facial features there have been several important studies and these will be outlined; there have been few studies on visual processing in relation to famous and non-famous faces compared, or in relation to age.

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