Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2023-03-27 Cooperative journals: 《心理学报》
Abstract： Recent studies on face processing have shown our sensitivity to changes in facial configural and featural information. However, to our knowledge, the integration of the two types of facial information is poorly understood. To this end, this study explored the integration of facial information cross configural and featural dimensions within specific facial regions (i.e., eyes and mouth). The theoretical hypothesis includes (1) If participants can integrate facial information in both facial configural and featural dimensions, they should be more sensitive to changes in dual-dimension information as opposed to those in a single-dimension, that is a cross-dimension covariation enhancement effect; (2) The “cross-dimension covariation enhancement effect” should be face region-selective: It is expected to be stronger in the eyes region than the mouth region; (3) Face inversion should impair the “cross-dimension covariation enhancement effect”. To test these predictions, we designed two 3 (facial information type: configural change, featural change, both change) × 2 (face orientation: upright, inversion) experiments for eye region and mouth region information change respectively. Participants' sensitivity to information change was measured in a 2-face discrimination task. Results revealed that (1) participants were more sensitive to “dual” change in eye region as compared to changes in either single configural or featural information; (2) this effect is both orientation-specific (i.e., no effect was found in eye region when faces were inverted) and region-specific (i.e., no effect was found in mouth region regardless of face orientation), suggesting that this effect cannot be simply explained by the extra facial information changes in the “dual” condition; (3) When single facial information was altered, face inversion reduced the detection of facial information changes in the mouth region, but not those changes in the eyes region. In sum, our findings showed that face cross-dimension (i.e., configural and featural) information integration occurred in the eye region of upright faces, but not in the mouth region or inverted faces. The face orientation-specificity and facial region-specificity suggested that the integration happens at facial-region level, possibly involving face holistic processing. The traditional face holistic processing hypothesis emphasized integrating facial information across whole face region. The current findings suggest that face region might act as a key component in the framework of holistic face processing theory. Finally, by revisiting the “perceptual field” hypothesis, the “expertise area” hypothesis, and the “region-selective holistic processing” hypothesis, we discussed an eye region-centered, hierarchical, multi-dimensional information integration hypothesis.
Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2023-03-27 Cooperative journals: 《心理学报》
Abstract： People recognize familiar faces more quickly and accurately than unfamiliar faces. Previous studies found that both holistic processing and part-based processing play a role in recognizing familiar faces efficiently. However, familiarization with faces may not happen and be accomplished in a short period of time for both types of processing. Few research has focused on the progress of familiarization with individuals' faces in real life: Did it reach a ceiling-level of recognition in a short period of time (sudden change) or over a long period of time (gradual change)? And what role did part-based processing and holistic processing play in the recognition improvement during face familiarization? In the current study, we recruited 57 undergraduate students, 30 from one class (Group 1: 20 females, Mage = 18.4, SD = 0.8) and the remaining 27 from another class (Group 2: 18 females, Mage = 19.2, SD = 0.8). They got along with their classmates for 1 month (Group 1) and 13 months (Group 2) of daily interactions, respectively. Three delayed-matching tasks (Whole-face Learning, Regional-part Learning, and Regional-periphery Learning) were used to test the participants' face recognition performance in part-based processing and holistic processing. The “Regional-part” was an eye or the mouth, respectively. The “Regional-periphery” was a face with an eye masked or the mouth masked. In each trial, a fixation point (800 ms) was presented at the center of the screen, then the learning stimulus (500 ms) was presented with the specific part (eye or mouth) at the fixation point location. After that, four whole faces (5000 ms) were displayed on the screen after a blank (1000 ms). The participants were asked to choose the face with the same identity as the learning stimuli. Results showed: (1) The recognition performance of familiar faces improved with the increase in daily-interaction time. The familiarity effect (the difference between recognizing the classmates and strangers) of participants with 13 months of daily interaction was higher than that of participants with 1 month. (2) The recognition performance of familiar faces was higher than that of unfamiliar faces in the Part Learning task and in the Part-masking Learning task, which indicated that both the part-based processing and holistic processing were enhanced by familiarity. (3) With the increase in face familiarity, the performance of the eye region and mouth region showed regional asynchronization. Participants with 1 month of daily-interaction time showed no familiarity effect in recognizing the region of the eye, but a significant familiarity effect in recognizing the peripheral region of the eye; and they showed significant familiarity effects both in recognizing the region of the mouth and the peripheral region of the mouth. Participants with 13 months showed a familiarity effect in recognizing the region of the eye, and a stronger familiarity effect in recognizing the peripheral region of the eye; and they showed no familiarity effect in recognizing the region of the mouth but a familiarity effect in recognizing the peripheral region of the mouth. (4) For unfamiliar faces (r = 0.412, p = 0.024; r = 0.439, p = 0.022) and familiar faces with 1 month (r = 0.428, p = 0.018) and 13 months daily interaction (r = 0.609, p = 0.001), the performance of recognizing the peripheral region of the eye was positively correlated with the performance of recognizing the whole faces. For familiar faces with 13 months of daily interaction, the performance of recognizing the region of the eye was positively correlated with the performance of recognizing the whole face (r = 0.562, p = 0.002). The results implied that familiarization of face identity was gradual. Familiarization promoted part-based processing and holistic processing. The improvement of the holistic processing preceded that of the part-based processing. In addition, the improvement in recognizing the eye region and the mouth region showed regional asynchrony during familiarization. Familiar face recognition has eye region specificity. Holistic processing in the eye region plays a key role in the establishment of memory representations of familiar faces. These results suggest that Regional Asynchrony and Eye Region-specificity emerged during the familiarization. New knowledge for understanding the mechanism of face memory representation formation was provided.
Subjects: Psychology >> Cognitive Psychology submitted time 2022-12-08
Abstract：
People recognize familiar faces more quickly and accurately than unfamiliar faces. Previous studies found that both holistic processing and part-based processing play a role in recognizing familiar faces efficiently. However, familiarization with faces may not happen and be accomplished in a short period of time. Little research has focused on the progress of familiarization with individuals' faces in real life: Did it reach a ceiling-level of recognition in a short period of time (sudden change) or over a long period of time (gradual change)? And what role did part-based processing and holistic processing play in the recognition improvement during face familiarization? In the current study, we recruited 57 undergraduate students, 30 from one class (Group 1: 20 females, age M = 18.4, SD = 0.8) and the remaining 27 from another class (Group 2: 18 females, age M = 19.2, SD = 0.8). They got along with their classmates for 1 month (Group 1) and 13 months (Group 2) of daily interactions, respectively. Three delayed-matching tasks (Whole-face Learning, Part Learning, and Part-masking Learning) were used to test the participants' face recognition performance, part-based processing level, and holistic processing level. The parts included eye and mouth, respectively. In each trial, a fixation point (800ms) was presented at the center of the screen, then the learning stimulus (500ms) was presented with the specific part (eye or mouth) at the fixation point location, and four whole faces (5000ms) were displayed on the screen after a blank (1000ms). The participants were asked to choose the face with the same identity as the learning stimuli. Results showed: (1) The recognition performance of familiar faces improved with the increase in daily-interaction time. The familiarity effect (the difference between recognizing the classmates and strangers) of participants with 13 months of daily interaction was higher than that of participants with 1 month. (2) The recognition performance of familiar faces was higher than that of unfamiliar faces in the Part Learning task and in the Part-masking Learning task, which indicated that both the part-based processing and holistic processing were enhanced by familiarity. (3) With the increase in face familiarity, the performance of the eye region and mouth region showed regional asynchronization. Participants with 1 month of daily-interaction time showed no familiarity effect in recognizing the region of the eye, but a significant familiarity effect in recognizing the peripheral region of the eye; and they showed significant familiarity effects both in recognizing the region of the mouth and the peripheral region of the mouth. Participants with 13 months showed a familiarity effect in recognizing the region of the eye, and a stronger familiarity effect in recognizing the peripheral region of the eye; and they showed no familiarity effect in recognizing the region of the mouth but a familiarity effect in recognizing the peripheral region of the mouth. (4) For unfamiliar faces (r= 0.412，p= 0.024; r= 0.439，p= 0.022) and familiar faces with 1 month (r= 0.428，p= 0.018) and 13 months daily interaction (r= 0.609，p= 0.001), the performance of recognizing the peripheral region of the eye was positively correlated with the performance of recognizing the whole faces. For familiar faces with 13 months of daily interaction, the performance of recognizing the region of the eye was positively correlated with the performance of recognizing the whole face (r= 0.562，p= 0.002). The results implied that the familiarization of face identity was a gradual process that lasts over one month. Familiarization promoted part-based processing and holistic processing, but the improvement of the holistic processing preceded that of the part-based processing. In addition, the improvement in recognizing the eye region and the mouth region showed regional asynchrony during the familiarization. Familiar face recognition has eye region specificity, and holistic processing in the eye region plays a key role in the establishment of memory representations of familiar faces. Results provide new knowledge for understanding the mechanism of face memory representation formation. These results suggest that Regional Asynchrony and Eye Region specificity emerged during the familiarization and provide new knowledge for the underlying mechanism of face representation.
Peer Review Status:
Awaiting Review
Subjects: Psychology >> Cognitive Psychology Subjects: Psychology >> Experimental Psychology Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2021-11-23
Abstract：面孔知觉可能在区域尺度上发生多维信息整合，但迄今无特异性实验证据。本研究在两个实验中操纵面孔眼睛区域或嘴巴区域的单维构型或特征信息，测量人们觉察单维变化或跨维共变的敏感度，以此检测面孔区域尺度上的多维信息整合有何现象与规律，进而揭示面孔知觉的多维信息整合机制。实验获得三个发现：（1）正立面孔眼睛区域的信息变化觉察呈现出“跨维共变增益效应”，跨维信息共变觉察的敏感度显著高于任意一种单维信息变化觉察的敏感度；（2）“跨维共变增益效应”只在正立面孔的眼睛区域出现，在倒置面孔的眼睛区域、正立面孔的嘴巴区域或倒置面孔的嘴巴区域都没有出现，因此具有面孔区域特异性和面孔朝向特异性；（3）就单维信息变化觉察而言，眼睛区域的敏感度不会受到面孔倒置的损伤，但是嘴巴区域的敏感度会受到面孔倒置的显著损伤。综合可知，面孔知觉确实会发生区域尺度上的信息整合，而且它不是普遍性的信息量效应，是特异性的（只发生在正立面孔的眼睛区域）将单维信息分辨和全脸多维整合联系起来的整合加工；提示我们对全脸多维信息知觉整合的理解需要从传统的面孔整体加工假设（face holistic processing hypothesis）扩展到以眼睛为中心的层级化（hierarchical）多维信息整合机制。
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
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