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Mechanisms of Face Recognition

Module description

The recognition of faces is one of the fundamental cognitive skills that individuals rely on in everyday life. Faces convey an incredible wealth of information about others’ behaviours and emotional states, which are used to guide social interactions.

Through interactive research-inspired seminars, we will examine the mechanisms underpinning our remarkable ability to recognise others’ faces. To do so, we will first learn about the cognitive processes of face recognition skills, and then extend that knowledge to the social-cognitive, as well as the cognitive-developmental and neuropsychological aspects of face recognition. This explores topics including but not limited to eyewitness identification, face blindness and face/body attentional adhesion for example. Importantly, throughout this journey into the face recognition literature, we will look also at how new neuroscientific techniques can help us in advancing our understanding of the neurocognitive bases of face recognition.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of the module is to explore the most significant advances made in the face recognition literature. Importantly, we will cover the interdisciplinary aspects (e.g., cognitive, social, neuroscientific, neuropsychological, developmental) of the research in face recognition. It will start by revealing the key question whose final answer is considered as the “holy grail” for many face recognition scientists, are faces special? Hence, we will look at how researchers have used behavioural paradigms combined with neuroscience techniques to answer this question. We will then evaluate how specific phenomena derived from the face recognition literature can be used to study social issues such as sexual objectification, stigmatisation towards neurodiversity and racial bias. We will also examine how social manipulations (e.g., social power, social status and social stress) and neuropsychological impairments (e.g., prosopagnosia) can influence face recognition skills. This module aims to elicit critical thinking skills through interactive group discussions about the main topics showcased during class. Through the “creative expression” assignment you will develop the skills to elaborate novel ideas for an experiment design that you will communicate effectively in the format of a research proposal. A key part of the creative process will be mind-mapping, giving feedback, and acting on feedback received by colleagues.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Critically evaluate current research in the field of face recognition from different perspectives including cognitive psychology, social cognition, cognitive neuroscience, cognitive developmental and neuropsychology
• 2. Evaluate theoretical and experimental principles to the main debates in the face recognition literature
• 3. Extend cognitive phenomena discovered in the face recognition literature to explain social (e.g., objectification, stigmatisation, social power) and neuropsychological implications (e.g., prosopagnosia and autism)
• 4. Come up with a novel experimental idea that expands the literature in face recognition

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Review and analyse scientific articles at an advanced level, synthesising this literature to present logical, coherent and sustained arguments.
• 6. Develop and effectively communicate novel research ideas inspired by the module content
• 7. Engage in scientific debates, forming arguments from evidence in the literature
• 8. Create a detailed research proposal, outlining the methods of an advanced experimental idea

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 9. Innovate and express creative ideas in experimental psychology
• 10. Collaborate in groups to encourage peer participation and creativity
• 11. Communicate complex scientific concepts in a concise and accessible way
• 12. Manage learning, independently researching an area inspired by your research interests

Syllabus plan

Indicative topics that will be covered include:

• Are faces special? An introduction to the main debate in the literature, “specificity” vs. expertise

• The many faces of configural processing: Perceptual processes at the basis of face recognition skills, configural/holistic vs. featural processing.
• The Face Inversion Effect: One of the most robust and replicable finding in the literature.
• The neurocognitive bases of face recognition
• The cognitive bases of Sexual Objectification, Stigmatisation and Racial Bias
• The influence of Social Power, Social Status and Social Stress priming on Face Recognition skills .
• When Face Recognition Fails: Face blindness (prosopagnosia), visual agnosia and autism.
• Can’t take my eyes off you: face/body attentional adhesion to mates and rivals.
• "Quo Vadis" Face Recognition? What we know so far about the nature of face recognition and future directions
• Revision Seminar

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Two assessments are required for this module. Where you have been referred/deferred in the examination you will have the opportunity to take a second examination in the August/September re-assessment period. Where you have been referred/deferred in the research proposal you will be required to resubmit the research proposal. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%; deferred marks are not capped.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Specific reading will be given for each topic covered in class.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

•  ELE page: https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=9461

Key words search

Psychology, Cognition, Face Recognition, Social Cognition