Facial Depiction Research Articles

Using a morph-based animation to visualise the face of Pharaoh Ramesses II ageing from middle to old age

Ramesses II was one of the most important Pharaohs to have presided over Egypt during the New Kingdom period. In 2023 researchers Wilkinson, Saleem, Liu and Roughley produced two digital 3D facial depictions showing Ramesses II at different ages: one around the age-at-death at 90 years old and the other, an age-regression at approximately 45 years old, based CT scans of his mummified remains, photographs, and historical information. The presence of two 3D facial depictions of one ancient individual at different ages affords an opportunity to show how Ramesses II might have looked during key moments of his lifetime and just prior to death. This paper describes the workflow adopted to add realistic textures to the facial depictions, and to use a morph-based animation to represent Ramesses II ageing from 45 to 90 years old.

A Place and Symbols of Remembrance and Filial Piety for Crown Prince Sado: A Study of Mangmyoru at Kyŏngmogung Shrine and the Enshrined Portraits

This paper examines the ascent to prominence of Mangmyoru Pavilion within Kyŏngmogung Shrine, dedicated to Crown Prince Sado, as a principal repository for enshrining royal portraits (御眞, Ŏjin) during the late Chosŏn period. It also explores the regular inspection and management system of both the chambers inside the pavilion and the portraits enshrined there, which formed the basis for its prominence. Furthermore, the paper delves into the iconography and format of the portraits as documented in historical records, as well as the stylistic characteristics of the existing royal portraits from Mangmyoru. Lastly, it considers how the interior chambers and screen paintings installed in the pavilion changed over time.</br>Mangmyoru began unofficially housing portraits of King Chŏngjo in the early 1780s. With the official enshrinement of a half-length portrait of King Chŏngjo in 1791, the repository ascended to a principal site for royal portraits throughout the late Joseon period, eventually housing nine portraits of five kings during King Kojong’s reign. After the enshrinement of portraits of King Sunjo and King Munjo, Mangmyoru’s role expanded from solely housing King Chŏngjo’s portrait to enshrining portraits of kings in the direct bloodline of Crown Prince Sado. Furthermore, the format of enshrined portraits was not confined to half-length; sometimes, multiple copies of portraits were housed in a single chamber.</br>The six royal portraits enshrined in Mangmyoru, now part of the National Palace Museum collection, present the stylistic changes of 19th-century Chosŏn art. Early 19th-century portraits seamlessly blended traditional facial depiction techniques with shading methods, while midto-late 19th-century portraits exhibited bold and stylized shading techniques. The regular inspection and management system for the chambers and the enshrined portraits, established during King Chŏngjo’s reign, cemented Mangmyoru’s role as a premier repository for royal portraits, facilitating the addition of subsequent portraits. The scale and prestige of the repository were further enhanced by the addition of royal portraits, accompanied by regular royal visits and inspections. As the status of Mangmyoru elevated, changes were also made to its spatial arrangement and interior adornment, such as replacing the Ten Longevity Symbols folding screen with the Five Peaks. Through this trajectory, Crown Prince Sado, enshrined in the main hall of Kyŏngmogung Shrine, emerged as the progenitor of the lineage of five kings, represented through the enshrined portraits in Mangmyoru.

The Doppelgänger effect? A comparative study of forensic facial depiction methods

This study attempted to assess the reproducibility of 2D and 3D forensic methods for facial depiction from skeletal remains (2D sketch, 3D manual, 3D automated, 3D computer-assisted). In a blind study, thirteen practitioners produced fourteen facial depictions, using the same skull model derived from CT data of a living donor, a biological profile and relevant soft tissue data. The facial depictions were compared to the donor subject using three different evaluation methods: 3D geometric, 2D face recognition ranking and familiar resemblance ratings. Five of the 3D facial depictions (all 3D methods) demonstrated a deviation error within ± 2 mm for ≥ 50% of the total face surface. Overall, no single 3D method (manual, computer assisted, automated) produced consistently high results across all three evaluations. 2D comparisons with a facial photograph of the donor were carried out for all the 2D and 3D facial depictions using four freely available face recognition algorithms (Toolpie; Photomyne; Face ++; Amazon). The 2D sketch method produced the highest ranked matches to the donor photograph, with overall ranking in the top six. Only one 3D facial depiction was ranked highly in both the 3D geometric and 2D face recognition comparisons. The majority (67%) of the facial depictions were rated as limited or moderate resemblance by the familiar examiner. Only one 2D facial depiction was rated as strong resemblance, whilst two 2D sketches and two 3D facial depictions were rated as good resemblances by the familiar examiner. The four most geometrically accurate 3D facial depictions were only rated as limited or moderate resemblance to the donor by the familiar examiner. The results suggest that where a consistent facial depiction method is utilised, we can expect relatively consistent metric reliability between practitioners. However, presentation standards for practitioners would greatly enhance the possibility of recognition in forensic scenarios.

Forensic facial approximation of an individual with achondroplasia from medieval cemetery in Central Europe

Achondroplasia (ACH, achondroplastic dwarfism) represents the most common form of skeletal dysplasia, occurring in c. 4 out of every 100,000 births. This study presents a computer-based facial approximation of the skull of a male individual living with ACH, who died at 30–45 years of age and was buried in Łekno, Poland between the 9th and 11th centuries AD. For the approximation procedure, soft tissue data from CT scans and ultrasonic measurements performed on living individuals were used. Additionally, an anatomical deformation technique was applied to arrive at the most reliable reconstruction of the achondroplastic individual's appearance. To our knowledge, this is the first facial depiction of a person with achondroplasia, and one of the few showing a head of an individual suffering from a hereditary disease, with dimensions and shape differing from the population average values.

Revealing the face of Ramesses II through computed tomography, digital 3D facial reconstruction and computer-generated Imagery

King Ramesses II (c. 1279 BCE – 1213 BCE), also known as Ramesses the Great, was the third ruler of the 19th Dynasty of the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt. He lived to around 90 years of age and is considered as one of the most powerful rulers of ancient Egypt. From scientific analysis of the mummified remains of the pharaoh using Computed Tomography (CT) scan data and scrutiny of available historical records, 3D facial depictions of the Pharaoh at two different ages were produced: one at 90 years old (age of death) and one at age 45 years when he was at the peak of his military activities. This article discusses the methods and decisions involved in the creation of these facial depictions.

On the persistence of race: Unique skulls and average tissue depths in the practice of forensic craniofacial depiction.

The (re-)surfacing of race in forensic practices has received plenty of attention from STS scholars, especially in connection with modern forensic genetic technologies. In this article, I describe the making of facial depictions based on the skulls of unknown deceased individuals. Based on ethnographic research in the field of craniofacial identification and forensic art, I present a material-semiotic analysis of how race comes to matter in the face-making process. The analysis sheds light on how race as a translation device enables oscillation between the individual skull and population data, and allows for slippage between categories that otherwise do not neatly map on to one another. The subsuming logic of race is ingrained - in that it sits at the bases of standard choices and tools - in methods and technologies. However, the skull does not easily let itself be reduced to a racial type. Moreover, the careful efforts of practitioners to articulate the individual characteristics of each skull provide clues for how similarities and differences can be done without the effect of producing race. Such methods value the skull itself as an object of interest, rather than treat it as a vehicle for practicing race science. I argue that efforts to undo the persistence of race in forensic anthropology should focus critical attention on the socio-material configuration of methods and technologies, including data practices and reference standards.

샤라쿠의 야쿠샤에 일고찰

I have considered the Kansai Region, Tsutaya, the notable publisher and the circumstances of the surrounding publishing industry in this paper, amidst the cultural background which generated expressions through pictures similar to actors drawn by Sharaku. As a result, Sharaku had a deep connection with the Edo Kabuki industry. The facial depiction of Kabuki actors by Sharaku was also made by focusing on the relationship between the appearance and personality of the actor in his own unique way, regardless of the flowerbed or style of painting at the time. In this paper, we considered the relationship between the fashion of metoposcopy, which can be referred to as the origin of Sharaku’s interest in the trends of publisher Tsutaya, and the publishing industry along with its work at the time. It is probable that Tsutaya and Sharaku shared the common interest to produce a large drawing of an actor’s upper body- Okubi-e in the wake of the epidemic of metoposcopy that occurred in both Kyoto and Edo at the time.

샤라쿠의 야쿠샤에 일고찰

I have considered the Kansai Region, Tsutaya, the notable publisher and the circumstances of the surrounding publishing industry in this paper, amidst the cultural background which generated expressions through pictures similar to actors drawn by Sharaku. As a result, Sharaku had a deep connection with the Edo Kabuki industry. The facial depiction of Kabuki actors by Sharaku was also made by focusing on the relationship between the appearance and personality of the actor in his own unique way, regardless of the flowerbed or style of painting at the time. In this paper, we considered the relationship between the fashion of metoposcopy, which can be referred to as the origin of Sharaku’s interest in the trends of publisher Tsutaya, and the publishing industry along with its work at the time. It is probable that Tsutaya and Sharaku shared the common interest to produce a large drawing of an actor’s upper body- Okubi-e in the wake of the epidemic of metoposcopy that occurred in both Kyoto and Edo at the time.

Hybrid Facial Chaotic-based Graphical Encryption Technique for Cloud Environment

Pictographic representations are everywhere in this digital world. IoT, Cloud, Fog, and 5G systems are becoming data transfer boosters for each user. In a real-world situation, secure data transmission is critical through open networks. Many conventional cryptosystems are inadequate for graphical data privacy in terms of computational overhead, latency, and more sensitive to the unknown attacks. In this paper, the secured and low-complex chaotic-based facial image cryptosystem has been developed for computer vision image data. The proposed crypto system utilizes the facial features, Lorentz chaotic maps for private keys production during the encoding process and the same is decrypted using the diffusion process. Facial depictions are merged with chaotic maps that are segmented and decrypted with mutual keys. The performance of the proposed hybrid cryptosystem is validated using the standard facial datasets and NCPR, UACI metrics are measured. Entropy and adjacent pixels correlation metrics also evaluated through proposed cryptosystems.

Digital 2D, 2.5D and 3D Methods for Adding Photo-Realistic Textures to 3D Facial Depictions of People from the Past.

Facial reconstruction is a technique that can be used to estimate individual faces from human skulls. The presentation of 3D facial reconstructions as photo-realistic depictions of people from the past to public audiences varies widely due to differing methods, the artists' CGI skillset, and access to VFX software required to generate plausible faces.This chapter describes three digital methods for the addition of realistic textures to 3D facial reconstructions; a 2D photo-composite method, a 3D digital painting and rendering method, and a previously undescribed hybrid 2.5D method.These methods are compared and discussed in relation to artistic proficiency, morphological accuracy and practitioner bias.

Asymmetric faces: Symbolic, spiritual, and representative.

In humans, physically attractive faces are measurably, though subtly, asymmetric. As asymmetry increases, it has a negative impact. Medically, asymmetry can be congenital or acquired. Symbolically, it has varied connotations from playfulness and complexity to despair and corruption. In Chinese opera, stylized make-up exaggerates the features, and aspects of the "mask" indicate qualities of the character. The asymmetric faces belong to characters who are corrupt, devious, or evil. In the Dan culture of western Africa, performance masks channel spirits in the community. A spirit with asymmetric facial mask exemplifies ugliness and moral failing. The Nasca culture of South America made generic figures of farmers, deities, and so on, but not of individuals. However, there is evidence of mutual influence between the Nasca and the Wari, with whom they traded. A clay figure apparently representing an individual, or at least a very specific recognized persona, is a ball player with facial asymmetry presumably due to injury. Here the message is one of fierceness and strength. The relative rarity of asymmetric facial depictions compared to symmetric ones is cross-cultural. This implies that asymmetry is special somehow, in all connotations of that term.

From Ta-Kesh to Ta-Kush: The affordances of digital, haptic visualisation for heritage accessibility

This paper describes the 3D facial depiction of a 2700-year-old mummy, Ta-Kush, stewarded by Maidstone Museum, UK, informed by new scientific and visual analysis which demanded a complete re-evaluation of her biography and presentation. The digital haptic reconstruction and visualisation workflow used to reconstruct her facial morphology is described, in the context of the multimodal and participatory approach taken by the museum in the complete redesign of the galleries in which the mummy is displayed. Informed by contemporary approaches to working with human remains in heritage spaces, we suggest that our virtual modelling methodology finds a logical conclusion in the presentation of the depiction both as a touch-object as well as a digital animation, and that this ‘digital unshelving’ enables the further rehumanization of Ta-Kush. Finally, we present and reflect upon visitor feedback, which suggests that audiences respond well to interpretive material in museums that utilizes cutting-edge, multimedia technologies.

Cognitive Bias and Facial Depiction from Skeletal Remains

The human face is physically, psychologically, and socially significant, and facial appearance is crucial to social identity. Therefore, the facial depiction of people from the past is a useful tool for the social interpretation of archaeological remains. However, scientific assumptions surrounding the interpretation of ancient remains influence how the individual is depicted, and facial depictions can contribute to and perpetuate confirmation bias. The primary goals of facial depiction of people from the past are humanistic; re-socializing, and re-personifying, and these aims may create an environment where the interests of the museum visitor influence the level of realism presented in a facial depiction, even where there is little evidence to justify many facial details. Enhanced levels of realism have led to the depiction of character and personality through facial expression. Facial depictions will also influence popular notions of race and gender identity, and the application of contemporary gender and population characteristics to ancient populations may not be justifiable. Facial depiction practitioners should be aware of cognitive bias in their work and make all attempts to avoid the effects. Practitioners should be involved in the decision-making process around the presentation of these exhibits in museums or by the police. El rostro humano es fisica, psicologica y socialmente significativo y la apariencia facial es crucial para la identidad social. Por lo tanto, la representacion del rostro de personas del pasado es una herramienta util para la interpretacion social de los restos arqueologicos. Sin embargo, las presunciones que los cientificos toman entorno a la interpretacion de los restos antiguos influyen en como se representa al individuo, asi como las representaciones faciales pueden contribuir y perpetuar el sesgo de confirmacion. Los objetivos principales de la representacion facial de personas del pasado son humanistas; re-socializar y re-personificar. Estos objetivos pueden crear un entorno donde los intereses del visitante del museo influyen en el grado de realismo presentado en una representacion facial, incluso cuando las evidencias son pocas para justificar muchos detalles faciales. Los niveles mejorados de realismo han llevado a la representacion del personaje y la personalidad a traves de la expresion facial. Las representaciones faciales tambien influiran en las nociones populares de identidad de raza y genero, y la aplicacion de las caracteristicas contemporaneas de genero y poblacion a las poblaciones antiguas puede no ser justificable. Los profesionales que crean las representaciones faciales deben ser conscientes del sesgo cognitivo en su trabajo y hacer todo lo posible para evitar los efectos. Los profesionales deben participar en el proceso de toma de decisiones en torno a la presentacion de estas exhibiciones en museos o por la policia.

Kathakaliyude Kaipusthakam (A Handbook of Kathakali) by Vellinezhi Achuthankutty

Reviewed by: Kathakaliyude Kaipusthakam (A Handbook of Kathakali) by Vellinezhi Achuthankutty Vishnu Achutha Menon KATHAKALIYUDE KAIPUSTHAKAM (A Handbook of Kathakali). By Vellinezhi Achuthankutty. Dubai: Thiranottam, 2013. 745 pp. Paper, $7.80. This book is an amalgamation of Kathakali repertoire's basic information, geographic setting, demographics, and the critical reflections of Vellinezhi Achuthankutty's experiences from the field. He spent more than 25 years at various institutions (Kalaris) collecting data about Kathakali artists; the book has details of 430 performing troupes and clubs covering 2312 artists across the globe. There are 1544 photographs; some of them are unique and rare, appearing for the first time in print. Kathakali terms and characters are included; some of the chapters are strictly dedicated to the innate structures of Kathakali performances such as chapters three and four, where he explains Bhavas and Rasas. This book highlights various schools of performances, technical characteristics, training aspects, and performance sequences of Kathakali in an elaborate manner. Instead of classifying the schools with a personal bias as Southern or Northern, Kaplingadan or Kalluvazhi, the author factually depicts the peculiarities of each style through diagrams and pictures. By the fall of the feudal system in Kerala in the first quarter of the last century, Kathakali slowly started losing its patronage throughout. Small groups started evolving, centred on maestros of art who had social and financial influence. This slowly paved the path towards institutionalization, wherein small troupes were adopted by societies formed by influential organizers and connoisseurs. As a result of institutionalization, the authority of classical arts became vested with those who were easily influenced by commodification and mass culture. Besides the history of the art of six centuries, as well as its present existence under institutionalization, Achuthankutty elaborates the aforementioned points objectively with evidence gained by interviewing masters and collecting literature. The first chapter narrates the classical arts of Kerala and the uniqueness of Kathakali in the Chadurvidhabhinaya context. This is [End Page 602] followed by chapter two, an evolutionary history of the art that chronologically lists various eras and prominent schools. This chapter includes tables and time-flow charts, photographs of relevant places, and list of proponents of each school. The history of some prominent ancient Kalaris and Kaliyogams like Pindalil Kalari, Kavungal Kalari, Thoppil Kaliyogam, Mathur Kalari, Kurichi tradition, and Changalavatta Kalari is accompanied by interesting anecdotes. Of notable interest in this chapter is the pictorial representation of these styles. The third chapter deals with historic details of Kathakali. Achuthankutty discusses and lists elements of this dance-drama such as facial depictions of the Bhavas, Mudras, Chuzhippu, types of culminations, enacting verses in the slowest tempo, script, melodies & rendering methods, percussion instruments, facial make-up of character types, stage settings, ornaments, headgears, arms, and costumes with appropriate reference tables. This is followed by a chapter on training processes, the greenroom, the presentation of characters, and the order of customary presentation of seven elements. The next chapter is devoted to general information regarding the theatre, including a list of available plays (Attakathas), authors, choreographic intricacies of popular plays, the rhythmic structure of verses, and a short dictionary on heroes of mythological stories enacted. The two sessions of chapter six summarize past and present proponents of the art, Kathakali troupes, institutions, and clubs. One of the interesting points of the first session is the anecdotes about renowned artists which are collected and highlighted in small boxes. The book is quite vast, with 743 pages, but its well-laid out structure and comprehensiveness is commendable. Some of the opinions that the author expresses in this work need extensive discussion, especially when he refutes the existing concept that Kathakali has been transformed from Krishnattam. The most interesting part of the work is the well-elaborated genesis of Kathakali from origin to the current norms arranged in chronological order, with diagrams and timely structures of Kaliyogams, clubs, and artists that adds legitimacy to the work. The process of Bhavas in a Kathakali play is also well studied by Achuthankutty. Passing sessions in the work points to ponder in future research and stand as guidelines for in-depth thought. A Handbook of Kathakali is the result of a scholar with insight, sincerity, and determination...

Pores, Pimples and Pathologies: 3D Capture and Detailing of the Human Skin for 3D Medical Visualisation and Fabrication.

Three-dimensional (3D) scanning of the human skin for 3D medical visualisation and printing does not often produce the desired results due to a number of factors including the specularity of human skin, difficulties in scanning fine structures such as the hair and the capabilities of the scanning technologies utilised. Some additional 3D modelling may be required to make the surfaces more suitable for use in the production of anatomical and medical teaching resources, computerised facial depiction and design of bespoke prostheses. Three-dimensional scanned surfaces can be enhanced through digital sculpting and embossing of high-resolution photographs of the human skin.

Икона Ветхозаветной Троицы с деяниями из Успенского собора Тихвинского монастыря: проблемы датировки и интерпретации

The origins of the illustrated cycles of the “wanderings” of the Holy Trinity are usually connected with the mid-16th century, a time when after the Moscow Kremlin Fire (1547) new icons for the royal Annunciation Church were commissioned from the Pskov and Novgorod masters. The border scenes of the new icon of the Old Testament Trinity became one of the central themes of the Case of Diak Viskovaty and the conciliar sessions which followed (1553–1554). The “Doubts and Outrage” of I. Viskovaty were causedby the newly-painted image of Christ, depicted as an Angel, with the octagonal halo of Saint Sophia, the Wisdom of God (seen by some theologians as the ultimate depiction of the Second Hypostasis of the Trinity before the Incarnation). Viskovaty saw a fundamental flaw and temptation in such depictions, since they might have presumed that the Lord took up not only the human nature, but also the angelic. The original icon from Kremlin did not survive, but it is widely believed that its iconographic composition was replicated in all depictions of the Holy Trinity with Acts, painted in the middle and second half of the 16th century. One of these (as traditionally upheld in the academic world) was the icon from Tikhvin, now in collection of theState Tretiakov Gallery, which is surrounded by 24 border scenes that illustrate not only the Book of Genesis and the “wanderings” of the Angels, but also the Life of the Theotokos, Gospel scenes and the Akathistos. Yet it is worth noting that the unique iconographic composition of the given piece, the striking traits of itsstyle and artistry give us every reason not only to attribute the icon to Pskov masters, but also to consider it the oldest among such images. The iconographer clearly retains the volume and proportional balance of thefigures, the softness of the facial depictions, the color work, the generous use of the gold hatching. All of these elements allow us to consider this icon a work of art from the dawn or first quarter of the 16th century. The icon in question follows the same tradition in Pskov art that brought us the Fiery Ascension of the Prophet Elijah (State Museum of History) and the Old Testament Trinity (State Tretiakov Gallery), but stands apart in its subtle color pallet and lack of ornamentation. The centerpiece of the icon, as well as the border scene of “Acts” follow the unique iconographic variations, known only in Pskov. The original interpretation of these themes can easily be justified, since the dedication of the Cathedral to the Holy Trinity is clearly linked with the prolonged evolution of the Trinitarian iconography. All of the border scenes can be split into two thematic categories. The major part (border scenes 1–14) is dedicated to the Book of Genesis. The lesser — to the Gospel narrative and Akathistos hymns. There is reason to believe that this unusual combination of border scene themes, surrounding the Holy Trinity, originated exclusively in Pskov in the late 15th century. The outermost border scenes in the lower tier — depicting Saint Sophia (the Wisdom of God) and the Dormition — coincide directly with the dedication of the Dormition Cathedral in the Tikhvin Monastery, which was part of the Diocese of Novgorod. Since the icon originates from that exact monastery, one should believe that it was painted for the consecration of the Cathedral in 1515.

The Affordances of 3D and 4D Digital Technologies for Computerized Facial Depiction.

3D digital technologies have advanced rapidly over recent decades and they can now afford new ways of interacting with anatomical and cultural artefacts. Such technologies allow for interactive investigation of visible or non-observable surfaces, haptic generation of content and tactile experiences with digital and physical representations. These interactions and technical advances often facilitate the generation of new knowledge through interdisciplinary and sympathetic approaches.Scientific and public understanding of anatomy are often enhanced by clinical imaging technologies, 3D surface scanning techniques, 3D haptic modelling methods and 3D fabrication systems. These digital and haptic technologies are seen as non-invasive and allow scientists, artists and the public to become active investigators in the visualisation of, and interaction with, human anatomy, remains and histories.Face Lab is a Liverpool John Moores University research group that focuses on creative digital face research; specifically the further development of a 3D computerized craniofacial depiction system, utilizing 3D digital technologies in facial analysis and identification of human remains for forensic investigation, or historical figures for archaeological interpretation.This chapter explores the affordances of such interactions for the non-destructive production of craniofacial depiction, through a case-study based exploration of Face Lab workflow.

Diminished Neural Responses to Emotionally Valenced Facial Stimuli: A Potential Biomarker for Unemotional Traits in Early Childhood.

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are characterized by deficits in guilt/empathy, shallow affect, and the callous and manipulative use of others. Individuals showing CU traits have increased risk for behavior problems and reduced responses to displays of distress in others. To explore how deficits in emotion-processing are associated with CU traits, the current study examined the association between callous-unemotionality and a neural index of facial emotion processing, using the event-related potential technique in a group of 3-5year olds. Children viewed a series of static emotional faces, depicting either fear or happiness, while electroencephalography data were collected. The N170 component, thought to index the neural processes associated with face perception, was examined along with CU traits. Findings suggest that the unemotional dimension of CU traits is associated with diminished emotion-processing responses to fearful faces. Reduced neural responses to facial depictions of fear could be a biomarker for unemotional traits in early childhood.

Neanderthal Paintings? Production of Prototypical Human (Homo Sapiens) Faces Shows Systematic Distortions

People's sketches of human faces seem to be systematically distorted: the eye position is always higher than in reality. This bias was experimentally analyzed by a series of experiments varying drawing conditions. Participants either drew prototypical faces from memory (studies 1 and 2: free reconstruction; study 3: cued reconstruction) or directly copied average faces (study 4). Participants consistently showed this positioning bias, which is even in accord with facial depictions published in influential research articles by famous face researchers (study 5). We discuss plausible explanations for this reliable and stable bias, which is coincidentally similar to the morphology of Neanderthals.

Haptic Classification of Facial Identity in 2D Displays: Configural versus Feature-Based Processing.

Participants learned through feedback to haptically classify the identity of upright versus inverted versus scrambled faces depicted in simple 2D raised-line displays. We investigated whether identity classification would make use of a configural face representation, as is evidenced for vision and 3D haptic facial displays. Upright and scrambled faces produced equivalent accuracy, and both were identified more accurately than inverted faces. The mean magnitude of the haptic inversion effect for 2D facial identity was a sizable 26 percent, indicating that the upright orientation was ¿privileged¿ in the haptic representations of facial identity in these 2D displays, as with other facial modalities. However, given the effect of scrambling, we conclude that configural processing was not employed; rather, only local information about the features was used, the features being treated as oriented objects within a body-centered frame of reference. The results indicate a fundamental difference between haptic identification of 2D facial depictions and 3D faces, paralleling a corresponding difference in recognition of nonface objects.