Face Perception Research Articles

Age-related similarities and differences in cognitive and neural processing revealed by task-related microstate analysis

We explored neural processing differences associated with aging across four cognitive functions. In addition to ERP analysis, we included task-related microstate analyses, which identified stable states of neural activity across the scalp over time, to explore whole-head neural activation differences. Younger and older adults (YA, OA) completed face perception (N170), word-pair judgment (N400), visual oddball (P3), and flanker (ERN) tasks. Age-related effects differed across tasks. Despite age-related delayed latencies, N170 ERP and microstate analyses indicated no age-related differences in amplitudes or microstates. However, age-related condition differences were found for P3 and N00 amplitudes and scalp topographies: smaller condition differences were found for in OAs as well as broader centroparietal scalp distributions. Age group comparisons for the ERN revealed similar focal frontocentral activation loci, but differential activation patterns. Our findings of differential age effects across tasks are most consistent with the STAC-r framework which proposes that age-related effects differ depending on the resources available and the kinds of processing and cognitive load required of various tasks.

How face is perceived in Chinese and Japanese

Abstract This study aims to examine how Chinese and Japanese speakers perceive face-enhancement and face-threat from a value-construct perspective. A mixed-method research design consisting of a questionnaire and structured interviews was employed. The results suggest that the values which trigger face-enhancement and face-threat are differently distributed between the two linguacultures in face-threatening and face-enhancing situations. Both Chinese and Japanese participants agreed that competence was the top value for face-enhancement. The Chinese participants considered status superiority as the more sensitive triggering value of face-enhancement, whereas the Japanese participants believed that good public image, self-esteem, and pride were the main factors. In face-threatening scenarios, the Japanese participants paid more attention to self-abasement and shame, inconsideration and irresponsibility, whereas the Chinese were more sensitive to incompetence. We attribute these differences in individuals’ perspectives on interpersonal relationships as a possible cause of their divergent perceptions of face.

A limited visual search advantage for illusory faces.

The human visual system is very sensitive to the presence of faces in the environment, so much so that it can produce the perception of illusory faces in everyday objects. Growing research suggests that illusory faces and real faces are processed by similar perceptual and neural mechanisms, but whether this similarity extends to visual attention is less clear. A visual search study showed that illusory faces have a search advantage over objects when the types of objects vary to match the objects in the illusory faces (e.g., chair, pepper, clock) (Keys et al., 2021). Here, we examine whether the search advantage for illusory faces over objects remains when compared against objects that belong to a single category (flowers). In three experiments, we compared visual search of illusory faces, real faces, variable objects, and uniform objects (flowers). Search for real faces was best compared with all other types of targets. In contrast, search for illusory faces was only better than search for variable objects, not uniform objects. This result shows a limited visual search advantage for illusory faces and suggests that illusory faces may not be processed like real faces in visual attention.

Electrophysiological correlates of face and object perception: A comparative analysis of 2D laboratory and virtual reality conditions.

Human face perception is a specialized visual process with inherent social significance. The neural mechanisms reflecting this intricate cognitive process have evolved in spatially complex and emotionally rich environments. Previous research using VR to transfer an established face perception paradigm to realistic conditions has shown that the functional properties of face-sensitive neural correlates typically observed in the laboratory are attenuated outside the original modality. The present study builds on these results by comparing the perception of persons and objects under conventional laboratory (PC) and realistic conditions in VR. Adhering to established paradigms, the PC- and VR modalities both featured images of persons and cars alongside standard control images. To investigate the individual stages of realistic face processing, response times, the typical face-sensitive N170 component, and relevant subsequent components (L1, L2; pre-, post-response) were analyzed within and between modalities. The between-modality comparison of response times and component latencies revealed generally faster processing under realistic conditions. However, the obtained N170 latency and amplitude differences showed reduced discriminative capacity under realistic conditions during this early stage. These findings suggest that the effects commonly observed in the lab are specific to monitor-based presentations. Analyses of later and response-locked components showed specific neural mechanisms for identification and evaluation are employed when perceiving the stimuli under realistic conditions, reflected in discernible amplitude differences in response to faces and objects beyond the basic perceptual features. Conversely, the results do not provide evidence for comparable stimulus-specific perceptual processing pathways when viewing pictures of the stimuli under conventional laboratory conditions.

A Dynamic Disadvantage? Social Perceptions of Dynamic Morphed Emotions Differ from Videos and Photos

Dynamic face stimuli are increasingly used in face perception research, as increasing evidence shows they are perceived differently from static photographs. One popular method for creating dynamic faces is the dynamic morph, which can animate the transition between expressions by blending two photographs together. Although morphs offer increased experimental control, their unnatural motion differs from the biological facial motion captured in video recordings. This study aimed to compare ratings of emotion intensity and genuineness in video recordings, dynamic morphs, and static photographs of happy, sad, fearful, and angry expressions. We found that video recordings were perceived to have greater emotional intensity than dynamic morphs, and video recordings of happy expressions were perceived as more genuine compared to happy dynamic morphs. Unexpectedly, static photographs and video recordings had similar ratings for genuineness and intensity. Overall, these results suggest that dynamic morphs may be an inappropriate substitute for video recordings, as they may elicit misleading dynamic effects.

Influence of the human body odor compound HMHA on face perception.

Body odors convey information about the individuals, but the mechanisms are not fully understood yet. As far as human reproduction is concerned, molecules that are produced in sexually dimorphic amounts could be possible chemosignals. 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid (HMHA) is one of them-more typical of men. Here, we investigated the possibility that the perception of gender and attractiveness in human faces could be implicitly influenced by this compound. Clearly feminine, ambiguous and clearly masculine faces were primed with an odor of HMHA, a control odor or air. Based on 100-ms face presentation, 40 raters had to identify the face's gender as quickly as possible and provide attractiveness evaluations. 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid tended to be perceived as less pleasant and induced lower sniff duration in women compared with men. As to the effects of HMHA on face perception (vs. control conditions), we found that gender identification and the associated response time were unaffected by HMHA. Attractiveness of the faces, however, increased in presence of HMHA, but not in a sex-specific manner and only for unattractive faces with ambiguous gender. In sum, this study found no evidence in favor of a possible role of this sexually dimorphic compound in intrasexual competition nor in intersexual attraction.

When being unattractive is an advantage: effects of face perception on intuitive culpability judgments

This experiment explored the influence of facial attractiveness and trustworthiness on guilty judgments. We recruited 128 participants, randomly assigned to high and low time pressure conditions to act as judges in a simulated blind-date swindle case. Participants judged nine male faces from the Chicago Face Database with three attractiveness levels (unattractive, neutral and attractive), featuring a 2 × 3 mixed factorial design, with consistent standardized average levels of face trustworthiness. We also assessed participants’ self-reported processing styles (rational vs. experiential) using the Rational Experiential Inventory. Notably, participants predominantly judged unattractive faces as innocent, indicating an ugly leniency effect. Our results suggest the primacy of perceived face trustworthiness over attractiveness in guilt judgments for cases where the accused’s physical appearance might facilitate the crime’s success. This highlights the importance of examining the contribution of perceived trustworthiness to guilt judgment biases, and adds to growing evidence exploring extrajudicial factors in criminal verdicts.

Male facial cues to physical strength in Europe: Medium-strength preference and higher aggressiveness attribution to the weakest.

The capacity to assess male physical strength from facial cues may be adaptive given health and fitness-related associations with muscular strength. Our study complements recent research on strength-related face perceptions of male Maasai by applying the protocol to male European faces and assessors. Five distinct facial morphs calibrated for handgrip strength (HGS) were manufactured with geometric morphometrics performing regressions of the Procrustes shape coordinates on HGS in a sample of 26 European men (18-32 years). Young adult men and women (n = 445) rated these morphs on physical strength, attractiveness, and aggressiveness. Facial morphs calibrated to lower HGS were rated as less strong, less attractive, and more aggressive than those calibrated to higher HGS. Medium levels of HGS were associated with the highest attractiveness ratings. The rating patterns of physical strength, attractiveness, and aggressiveness for European male facial morphs exhibit similarity to previous ratings of Maasai male faces. Therefore, the current findings corroborate the suggestion of a common mechanism for social attributions based on facial cues to physical strength, modulated by local ecology and societal context.

"Calculating faces": can face perception paradigms enrich dyscalculia research?

Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a subtype of learning disabilities, which is characterized by lower mathematical skills despite average intelligence and average or satisfactory performance in other academic areas. It is not fully understood how such deficits emerge in the course of brain development. When considering the mechanisms of dyscalculia, two domain-specific systems are distinguished. The Approximate Number System (ANS) is related to the approximate estimation of large sets, and the Object Tracking System (OTS) is responsible for subitizing, that is, the exact quantification of small sets. In recent years, the multiple-deficit framework has become increasingly popular. On the one hand, it explains the impairment of certain general cognitive functions in children with DD, such as executive functions, attention, visual-perceptual discrimination, processing speed, and rapid scanning of visual information. On the other hand, it provides a theoretical basis for explaining the simultaneous occurrence of the different types of other comorbid conditions (such as dyslexia and ADHD) and the relationship between them. We suggest that the face recognition could be considered as another, probably impaired function in dyscalculic individuals. We highlight several brain areas involved both in numerical and facial processing: intraparietal sulcus (IPS), fusiform gyrus (FFG), and hippocampus (HC). We consider the possibility of expanding the scope of dyscalculia research by application of face perception paradigms.

Intra-group differences in skin tone influence evaluative and perceptual face processing.

In an exploration of colorist biases across native Melanesian participants, we employed a multi-method approach across three studies to examine evaluative and perceptual processing of 'lighter' and 'darker' non-Melanesian facial targets controlled for attractiveness, sex, and ethnicity. In Study 1, 305 participants evaluated facial attractiveness using surveys. In Study 2, 153 participants alternately mapped lighter and darker faces with positive and neutral attributes across brief Implicit Association Tests. In Study 3, 61 participants underwent a manual sorting task followed by a 'breaking' continuous flash suppression (b-CFS) paradigm to probe 'non-conscious' perceptual biases. Across evaluative measures, male and female respondents consistently preferred lighter-skinned, highly attractive male faces. During b-CFS, lighter and attractive opposite-sex faces entered awareness ('broke suppression') faster than their darker counterparts. We speculate that skin tone may operate as a perceptually salient cue in the presence of facial configurations signaling high reproductive potential.

Facial symmetry perception and attractiveness ratings in body dysmorphic disorder

Cognitive-behavioral models of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) conceptualize biases in visual information processing as maintaining factors of the disorder. Empirical findings point to selective attentional mechanisms and a detail-oriented information processing style in facial perception, which are related to perceived facial aesthetics. However, so far, it remains unclear whether higher discrimination abilities of facial symmetry and related attractiveness ratings contribute to the mind as a filter in BDD. BDD (n = 25) and mentally healthy subjects (n = 25) rated symmetry and attractiveness of fifty animated, three-dimensional facial photographs characterized by diverging geometrical symmetry. Main findings emerging from mixed effects models indicated that perceived symmetry, but not objective symmetry, predicted perceived attractiveness. Group status did not predict symmetry or attractiveness ratings. Exploratory analyses indicated potentially clinically relevant mechanisms of symmetry ratings in BDD and revealed faster attractiveness ratings in unattractive vs. attractive faces across groups. Our findings refute the hypothesis of higher discrimination abilities of facial symmetry as a maintaining factor in BDD. Implications for attention and perception retraining in the context of cognitive-behavioral therapy for BDD are discussed.

Восприятие естественной асимметричности знакомых и незнакомых лиц

Background. Despite the abundance of human face recognition models and research carried out in this area over the past half-century, there are still open questions about the uniqueness of the facial perception processes and about the oneness or difference of the mechanisms of perception of familiar and unfamiliar faces. Objective. Research into the mechanisms of perception of (a)symmetry of familiar and unfamiliar faces. Study Participants. 34 people participated in the study: 25 classmates (11 female and 14 male, Мage = 16, SD = 0,49) and 9 teachers (6 female and 3 male, Мage = 33, SD = 8,71). Methods. Methods of inversion and horizontal mirroring of face images were used to compare the mechanisms of perception of facial symmetry in familiar and unfamiliar faces. Mirroring allowed to change the face itself without violating its recognition and maintaining the overall degree of its (a)symmetry. The inversion impaired the perception of the facial configuration. Study participants assessed the degree of asymmetry in the images of familiar (photographs of classmates) and unfamiliar faces in four presentation conditions: original / mirrored faces presented upright / inverted. Results. The study results demonstrated that when presented upright, familiar mirrored faces are perceived as more asymmetrical than the original ones; no difference was revealed for unfamiliar faces. When inverting images, the ratings of the original and mirrored versions of the faces do not differ significantly for both familiar and unfamiliar faces. A small inversion effect was found in the ratings of original familiar faces: inverted familiar faces were rated as more asymmetrical than upright ones. Conclusions. The study results generally support the hypothesis that the mechanisms of perception of (a)symmetry in familiar and unfamiliar faces differ. Furthermore, there is reason to consider the assessment of a face (a)symmetry as involving not only configural, but also analytical mechanisms of its perception.

Stimulus Inversion and Emotional Expressions Independently Affect Face and Body Perception: An ERP Study.

Faces and bodies provide critical cues for social interaction and communication. Their structural encoding depends on configural processing, as suggested by the detrimental effect of stimulus inversion for both faces (i.e., face inversion effect - FIE) and bodies (body inversion effect - BIE). An occipito-temporal negative event-related potential (ERP) component peaking around 170 ms after stimulus onset (N170) is consistently elicited by human faces and bodies and is affected by the inversion of these stimuli. Albeit it is known that emotional expressions can boost structural encoding (resulting in larger N170 components for emotional than for neutral faces), little is known about body emotional expressions. Thus, the current study investigated the effects of different emotional expressions on structural encoding in combination with FIE and BIE. Three ERP components (P1, N170, P2) were recorded using a 128-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) when participants were presented with (upright and inverted) faces and bodies conveying four possible emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear) or no emotion (neutral). Results demonstrated that inversion and emotional expressions independently affected the Accuracy and amplitude of all ERP components (P1, N170, P2). In particular, faces showed specific effects of emotional expressions during the structural encoding stage (N170), while P2 amplitude (representing top-down conceptualisation) was modified by emotional body perception. Moreover, the task performed by participants (i.e., implicit vs. explicit processing of emotional information) differently influenced Accuracy and ERP components. These results support integrated theories of visual perception, thus speaking in favour of the functional independence of the two neurocognitive pathways (one for structural encoding and one for emotional expression analysis) involved in social stimuli processing. Results are discussed highlighting the neurocognitive and computational advantages of the independence between the two pathways.

Facial icons as indexes of emotions and intentions.

Various objects and artifacts incorporate representations of faces, encompassing artworks like portraits, as well as ethnographic or industrial artifacts such as masks or humanoid robots. These representations exhibit diverse degrees of human-likeness, serving different functions and objectives. Despite these variations, they share common features, particularly facial attributes that serve as building blocks for facial expressions-an effective means of communicating emotions. To provide a unified conceptualization for this broad spectrum of face representations, we propose the term "facial icons" drawing upon Peirce's semiotic concepts. Additionally, based on these semiotic principles, we posit that facial icons function as indexes of emotions and intentions, and introduce a significant anthropological theory aligning with our proposition. Subsequently, we support our assertions by examining processes related to face and facial expression perception, as well as sensorimotor simulation processes involved in discerning others' mental states, including emotions. Our argumentation integrates cognitive and experimental evidence, reinforcing the pivotal role of facial icons in conveying mental states.

EEG Biomarkers for Autism: Rational, Support, and the Qualification Process.

In this chapter, we highlight the advantages, progress, and pending challenges of developing electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potential (ERP) biomarkers for use in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We describe reasons why global efforts towards precision treatment in ASD are utilizing EEG indices to quantify biological mechanisms. We overview common sensory processing and attention biomarkers and provide translational examples examining the genetic etiology of autism across animal models and human subgroups. We describe human-specific social biomarkers related to face perception, a complex social cognitive process that may prove informative of autistic social behaviors. Lastly, we discuss outstanding considerations for quantifying EEG biomarkers, the challenges associated with rigor and reproducibility, contexts of future use, and propose opportunities for combinatory multidimensional biomarkers.

Influence of visual acuity on monocular face perception and exploration: Evidence from gaze‐contingency

Aims/Purpose: The remarkable ability of the human brain to identify faces has traditionally been divided in the scientific literature into relative contribution of an analytical versus a holistic way of processing the visual stimuli. Although the “part‐by‐part” analysis allows identification, previous studies have proven that the ability to perceive all parts in a simultaneous fashion seems to be the key element of what makes observers experts at face identification. Here, we aim to better understand the impact of visual acuity (VA) on the holistic and analytical processing of the face.Methods: We performed face‐matching tasks of unfamiliar faces using a gaze‐contingency approach in 12 normally sighted adults. Three viewing conditions (full view, mask effect, window effect) were simulated while VA was artificially decreased using a blur technique to obtain a linear scale of VA from LogMar 1,3 to 0,3.Results: At the group level, response times and number of fixations in full view, mask effect and window effect remained well preserved at VA as low as LogMar 1,0. Around that level of VA, both time and number of fixations increased with decreasing VA and were higher in the mask condition than in the other conditions.Conclusions: Facial identification performances remain well preserved at low VA. Evolution has allowed the brain to identify faces even if pathologies affecting the visual pathways strongly limit VA. This probably derives from the holistic strategy for face identification and the involvement of brain areas specialized in high level visual processing.

Facial Emotion Recognition in Adolescence: A Systematic Review

Abstract Background: The recognition of emotions in faces refers to the ability to identify, discriminate and analyze emotional states through facial expressions, which is of paramount importance for social interaction, as it allows evaluating and modulating knowledge, attitudes and values. The scientific literature shows that this ability appears primarily in babies and improves throughout the life cycle, however, there is still need for a clearer understanding of its development during adolescence. Objective: Investigate adolescent development in recognizing basic emotions through facial expressions. Methods: This article used the systematic review of scientific literature as a research method, related to development of the ability to recognize basic emotions in the face in adolescence. Results: The analysis of twelve selected articles revealed that: (1) there is an improvement in this ability during adolescence, but in a heterogeneous way in relation to basic emotions; (2) happiness is the emotion most easily identified by adolescents, whereas fear has less identification accuracy at this stage; (3) there is a female advantage, but there was no agreement on the influence of pubertal state. However, there was a notable variation in the sample and methods used in the experiments, which may explain the heterogeneity of the results. Conclusions: This review highlights the need for further exploration and the proposition of new studies and theoretical models to advance understanding in this area. Keywords: Recognition of emotions in faces; Development; Adolescence; Universal emotions; Facial perception; Systematic review.

The Neural Dynamics of Face Ensemble and Central Face Processing.

Extensive work has investigated the neural processing of single faces, including the role of shape and surface properties. However, much less is known about the neural basis of face ensemble perception (e.g., simultaneously viewing several faces in a crowd). Importantly, the contribution of shape and surface properties have not been elucidated in face ensemble processing. Furthermore, how single central faces are processed within the context of an ensemble remains unclear. Here, we probe the neural dynamics of ensemble representation using pattern analyses as applied to electrophysiology data in healthy adults (seven males, nine females). Our investigation relies on a unique set of stimuli, depicting different facial identities, which vary parametrically and independently along their shape and surface properties. These stimuli were organized into ensemble displays consisting of six surround faces arranged in a circle around one central face. Overall, our results indicate that both shape and surface properties play a significant role in face ensemble encoding, with the latter demonstrating a more pronounced contribution. Importantly, we find that the neural processing of the center face precedes that of the surround faces in an ensemble. Further, the temporal profile of center face decoding is similar to that of single faces, while those of single faces and face ensembles diverge extensively from each other. Thus, our work capitalizes on a new center-surround paradigm to elucidate the neural dynamics of ensemble processing and the information that underpins it. Critically, our results serve to bridge the study of single and ensemble face perception.

DON’T STOP BELIEVING – MAKING AGE MATTER

Abstract As educators and scholars in the field of aging, many of us have seen how ageism operates in nuanced and powerful ways on many fronts and coming from different directions. In this presentation I will use examples from my personal experiences in higher education to describe how age biases can rear their heads and how they have guided me to respond. Beginning with my experiences as a junior faculty member in the 1980s when lifespan developmental approach was reshaping the traditional view of aging, I will share how attitudes about “age doesn’t matter” prevailed and warranted brave and creative responses. Reshaping courses from the inside out to integrate aging became my mission and passion. Whether it a traditional developmental psychology class, a core social psychology class, or a specialized class on face perception – aging could be shown to matter. Fast forward 40 years and much as come to fruition, as seen in the response to the Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative that I have been helping to build with AGHE leaders, GSA colleagues, and AFU partners. However, there is much more work to be done as we see ourselves being the older adult in our courses about whom we have discussed and the older faculty member in an organizational structure built around people of a certain age. However, we know that if we “Don’t stop believin’, hold on to that feelin” we can continue to pave the way for age inclusivity in even more impactful ways.

Handedness as a major determinant of lateral bias in human functional cradling.

Studies examining infant cradling have almost uniformly concluded with a general human left-side bias for cradling, indicating that people prefer to hold an infant to the left of their body. Explanations for the notion of the left-side cradling bias have traditionally been searched for in a variety of factors, for example, in terms of maternal heartbeat, genetic factors, in the form of an ear asymmetry where auditory information is perceived faster through the left ear, as a result of a right hemispheric functional specialization for perception of emotions and faces, and in identifying a motor bias of the infant, such as the tendency of newborn infants to lie with the face to the right when placed supine. Interestingly, handedness is generally considered an inadequate explanation for the lateralized cradling bias, despite it being an intuitively plausible one. In this brief review, I put forward the cradler's handedness as the most convincing and elegant determinant of the cradling bias. This explanation is consistent with a developmental cascades' framework where the cradling bias can be understood as the result of a multitude of factors across a range of levels and systems.