Memory-related ERP components for experimentally learned faces and names: characteristics and parallel-test reliabilities

Previous research with preexperimentally familiar faces and names has identified several memory-related components in the event-related potential (ERP). Here we aimed to characterize these components while controlling the quality of long-term memory with a standardized learning procedure for unfamiliar faces and names. After 1 week, recognition was tested in a repetition priming paradigm. Both early repetition effects (ERE/N250r) and old/new effects had very similar time course and domain-related scalp topographies as has been reported for preexperimentally familiar stimuli. The late repetition effects (LRE/N400) showed domain-specific scalp topographies, possibly reflecting the greater ease of deriving semantic codes from faces. Importantly, parallel-test reliabilities of performance and memory-related ERP components were high, thus demonstrating the utility of face learning for formal assessment procedures in person recognition.