Several
types of information may be obtained from
faces and there are major differences
in the processing of familiar and unfamiliar faces
Recognition
of familiar faces depends on:
1) structural
encoding or visual encoding of the features;
2) face
recognition units ( FRU) which contain structural information about one
face known to the individual;
3) person
identity nodes which provide information about the individual (occupation,
relationship, friends, etc.);
4) and
name generation (names are stored separately from other identifying information).
Recognition
of unfamiliar faces depends on :
1) structural
encoding of the features;
2) expression
analysis (inferring a person’s emotional state from reading facial expression
- analysis of their facial features);
3) facial
speech analysis (observing a speaker’s lips while talking facilitates speech
perception;
4) and
directed visual processing (selectively processing specific information).
Evidence:
we would not be able to put a name on a face if we did not have other information
about that person available (person identity node) (occupation, where you
saw him or her before)
Young,
Hay, and Ellis (1985)
asked Ss to keep a diary of the problems they experienced in face recognition
- of 1008 incidents recorded, not once was a person able to put a name
to a face without knowing something else about the person. There were 190
instances where the person could remember a good bit of information about
the individual but could not name him/her (PIN and separate storage for
names)
McKenna
and Warrington (1980)
brain damaged patient could supply accurate information about 90% of famous
people (Ronald Reagan) but could only name the faces of about 15% of them
(she could name famous cities at high levels - 80-100% - propagnosia)
If
the FRU is activated but the PIN is not > a feeling of familiarity coupled
with the inability to remember anything about the individual ( I feel that
I know her, but I can’t say why or how I know her). Young, Hay, & Ellis
- 233 incidents reported.
Y,H,E
(1986)
people were faster to decide that a face is familiar (FRU) than if the
face was that of a politician (PIN) >This sequence follows the sequence
identified above.
Young,
McWeeny, Hay, & Ellis (1986a) found that people were faster to decide
whether a face belonged to a category of people (politicians) than they
were to name the face.
Conclusion:
information about familiar faces is accessed sequentially