Abstract
SummaryThe visual acuity of the eyes varies outside the range of normal vision, requiring corrective lenses, but also within the normal range. This study investigated whether both types of variation relate to individual differences in face‐identity matching, considering this applied task requires perception of detail. Across two experiments, face‐matching accuracy correlated with variation in acuity when this fell outside the normal range of vision and was uncorrected with glasses or contact lenses. In contrast, variation in visual acuity within the normal range did not affect face‐matching accuracy, whereas matching accuracy at a given level of acuity could vary substantially. These results indicate that visual acuity is only a problem for occupations performing face‐identity matching when below‐normal acuity is not diagnosed or adequately corrected. In turn, these findings suggest that variation in acuity within the normal range is not a contributing factor to individual differences in face matching accuracy.
Highlights
Unfamiliar face matching requires the classification of pairs of photos as depicting the same person or as two different people
We examine a low-level factor that may contribute to the individual differences observed in face matching, but that has so far not been examined in this field, reflecting variation in visual acuity both outside of and within the accepted normal range of vision
For the Cambridge Face Perception Test (CFPT), on the other hand, such correlations were present, which suggests that visual acuity within the normal range is important for making the very fine perceptual discriminations between morphed faces that are required for this test (Duchaine et al, 2007)
Summary
The visual acuity of the eyes varies outside the range of normal vision, requiring corrective lenses, and within the normal range. Variation in visual acuity within the normal range did not affect face-matching accuracy, whereas matching accuracy at a given level of acuity could vary substantially. These results indicate that visual acuity is only a problem for occupations performing face-identity matching when below-normal acuity is not diagnosed or adequately corrected. These findings suggest that variation in acuity within the normal range is not a contributing factor to individual differences in face matching accuracy.
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