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Published on: December 30, 2025
The horizontal and vertical relations in upright faces are transmitted by different spatial frequency ranges.
1Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Department of Neurocognition, Faculty of Psychology, University of Maastricht, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands. Valerie.Goffaux@psychology.unimaas.nl
Acta Psychologica
|January 2, 2008
Summary
Face perception relies on spatial relations. Spatial frequency (SF) optimally processes vertical relations for individuation and horizontal relations for local features, impacting face recognition.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Face perception involves processing features and their spatial arrangements.
- Facial features and spatial relations are differentially affected by inversion.
- Vertical spatial relations are more vulnerable to inversion than horizontal relations.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the role of spatial frequency (SF) in processing horizontal and vertical face relations.
- Determine the functional significance of different SF ranges in face perception.
Main Methods:
- Participants matched upright and inverted face pairs differing in featural properties, horizontal relations, or vertical relations.
- Stimuli were presented across various SF ranges to assess optimal processing.
- The inversion effect was quantified for each type of facial information.
Main Results:
- The inversion effect was consistently larger for vertical relations than for horizontal or featural cues across all SFs.
- Spatial frequency differentially modulated the processing of facial cues in upright faces.
- Intermediate SF optimally processed vertical relations, crucial for face individuation, while high SF best conveyed horizontal relations.
Conclusions:
- Horizontal and vertical spatial relations play distinct functional roles in face perception.
- Vertical relations, processed optimally at intermediate SF, are uniquely important for face individuation.
- High SF is critical for processing local face properties and horizontal relations.
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