MT1 intro to social/developmental psych- faces Flashcards
(138 cards)
How is perception of faces different to perception of objects
Faces are complex and dynamic, fine discrimination needed within and between people to identify different people or at different angles, faces have social importance
What is the fusiform face area
The fusiform gyrus- area of the brain that is activated more to face than non-face stimuli
How is there double dissociation for face and object processing in adults
Acquired prosopagnosia- specific to recognition of human faces
Suggests object and face processing function independently of one another
What are domain general processes
Processes that might serve learning, perception etc more generally, that become specific over time with experience with faces, but aren’t necessarily face-specific to begin with
Johnson et al (1991) experiment 1- procedure
30min old neonates, tracking procedure following head and eye turns to face-like stimuli- one face-like representation, one scrambled face (same complexity and no of perceptual features), one blank
Johnson et al (1991) experiment 1- results
Babies tracked longer with eye and head mvoement for face stimuli, then scrambled stimuli, then blank stimuli
Johnson et al (1991) experiment 2- procedure
Same eye and head tracking of neonates
Face stimuli, configurational version of a face (v stripped down), upside-down configurational version, scrambled linear face
Johnson et al (1991) experiment 2- results
No effect of condition for head turns
For eye tracking- face stimuli, then a tiny bit below is config stimuli, then inverse and scrambled linear face
Suggests neonates prefer facelike stimuli even with equally visually salient stimuli
Study showing faces are special to infants even before they are born
Reid et al (2017) Face-like or inverted stimuli of lights projected across maternal abdomen moving across the fetal visual field
Ultrasound scans found more foetal head-turns to face-like configuration
Johnson et al (1991) experiment 2- criticism
Reporting of data is sparse
Study showing face preference varying over first few months
Johnson et al (1991)- decline in face preference between 1 and 2 months, that reemerges around 2-3 months
What do U shaped developmental curves often suggest
The operation of 2 systems- the first cruder and easier to deploy, then during the transition to the 2nd more complex system there is a drop in performance before an even higher level is achieved
Two-process theory of face processing- what are the 2 pathways
Johnson and Morton (1991)-
1) CONSPEC (specific) 2) CONLEARN
Two-process theory of face processing- what is CONSPEC
Johnson and Morton (1991)-
subcortical visuomotor pathway responsible for preferential tracking of faces in newborns (akin to FAP)
Two-process theory of face processing- what is CONLEARN
Johnson and Morton (1991)- adult-like cortical pathways specialised for faces that emerge over time as a consequence of experience
Two-process theory of face processing-how do CONSPEC and CONLEARN work together to develop
Johnson and Morton (1991)- CONSPEC predisposes infants to be interested in faces and attend to them, providing substrate that fuels the development of CONLEARN, which may in turn inhibit CONSPEC
Two-process theory of face processing- summarise how CONSPEC leads to the emergence of a face area in the brain
A region of brain receives input only from ovals with inverted triangles
This inverted triangle bias causes the brain region to receive only face-like input, causing it to gradually become specialised for faces
Criticising CONSPEC- doesn’t explain preference for attractive faces?
Slater et al (2000)- faces judged by adults as more attractive (more average, more symmetrical) are looked at for longer by neonates
Only for upright faces, internal features seem important
Too complex behaviour for simplistic CONSPEC
Criticising CONSPEC- doesn’t explain preference for direct gaze?
Farroni et al (2002)- babies preferentially look at faces with direct gaze compared to averted gaze
Processing too sophisticated for CONSPEC?
Criticising CONSPEC- is it really face specific?
Cassia et al (2004)- infants have a preference for top-heavy configurations that not specific to faces
Criticising CONSPEC- possible explanation preferences for attractive/direct gaze/top heavy faces?
Better fit to ‘face prototype’ that CONSPEC may be looking for?
Criticising CONSPEC- need for 2 process theory?
Data also consistent with gradual development of a single mechanism, reflecting an immature adult system
Criticism of study suggesting neonate preference for HUMAN faces
The human and non-human primate faces used differ in lots of ways- brightness, concentration, contrast… lower level perceptual features may drive looking preference
Study showing no human-specific neonate preference in first week of life
Di Giorgio et al (2012)- 1-3 day old infants shown a human and monkey face matched for perceptual factors eg LSF- they showed habituation so could discriminate the faces, yet showed no looking preference for either face, and preferred upright monkey faces just like with humans