Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026
08:31
Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome
Published on: July 31, 2016
Why does selective attention to parts fail in face processing?
Jennifer J Richler1, James W Tanaka, Danielle D Brown
1Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Wilson Hall, Nashville, TN 37203, USA. jennifer.j.richler@vanderbilt.edu
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|November 5, 2008
Summary
Holistic face processing involves integrating face parts, not just focusing on one. This study reveals an attention-dependent mechanism for integrating spatially separated face parts, challenging current theories.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Holistic face processing is characterized by an inability to selectively attend to individual face parts.
- Existing theories focus on perceptual or decisional accounts of this phenomenon.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test perceptual versus decisional accounts of holistic face processing.
- To investigate the influence of spatial configuration on holistic processing at study and test phases.
- To explore the role of attention in integrating spatially separated face parts.
Main Methods:
- Three sequential matching experiments were conducted.
- Congruency effects between cued and uncued composite face halves were measured.
- Face halves were presented in spatially aligned, misaligned, or adjacent configurations.
Main Results:
- Congruency effects were observed for aligned, misaligned, and adjacent configurations at study.
- Congruency effects diminished with misalignment and were abolished with adjacent configurations at test.
- Equating encoding demands revealed study configuration effects, supporting a perceptual influence.
Conclusions:
- Current perceptual and decisional accounts do not fully explain the findings.
- Results suggest an attention-dependent mechanism integrates spatially separated face parts.
- Manipulations at test significantly impact holistic processing more than at study.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
01:24Prosopagnosia
Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, is the inability to recognize faces. In severe cases, individuals with prosopagnosia may not recognize close family members, including parents and spouses, by their faces. For instance, someone with prosopagnosia might walk past their child in a crowd, only realizing their mistake upon noticing their child's distinctive backpack or favorite jacket. Prosopagnosia specifically impairs facial recognition, while the recognition of other objects or...
01:20Parallel Processing
The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...
01:28Perception
Perception is a fundamental psychological process that enables individuals to organize, interpret, and consciously experience sensory information. This process is crucial for understanding and interacting with the world around us. It includes both bottom-up and top-down processing, each playing a distinct role in how we perceive our environment.
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
01:26Visual System
Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
01:12Visual Agnosia
Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round end"...