Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
05:39
Generating Strictly Controlled Stimuli for Figure Recognition Experiments
Published on: March 18, 2019
Detecting symmetry and faces: separating the tasks and identifying their interactions
Rebecca M Jones1, Jonathan D Victor, Mary M Conte
1Dept. of Neurology & Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|March 16, 2012
Summary
This study reveals how face and symmetry perception interact. Increased face-likeness enhances symmetry detection, while image symmetry affects face detection differently based on viewing angle.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Visual perception
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Face and symmetry processing share common characteristics.
- Evidence suggests interactions between face and symmetry perception.
- Independent manipulation of these features is needed to characterize their relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between face and symmetry perception.
- To determine how manipulating symmetry affects face perception and vice versa.
- To explore the underlying mechanisms of these interactions.
Main Methods:
- Created a novel image library with independently manipulated symmetry and face-likeness.
- Experiment 1: Participants identified the most symmetric target among face-like distractors.
- Experiment 2: Participants identified the most face-like target among symmetric distractors.
Main Results:
- Symmetry judgments improved with increased face-likeness in stimuli.
- Image symmetry did not affect frontally viewed face detection but impaired non-frontally viewed face detection.
- Performance was consistent for upright and inverted images, suggesting parts-based processing.
Conclusions:
- Face and symmetry perception influence each other.
- The nature of the interaction is complex and depends on factors like viewing angle.
- Interactions appear to operate at a parts-based level of visual processing.
More Related Videos
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,...
01:26Symmetry
The equation of an ellipse centered at the origin defines all points whose distances from the center maintain a constant ratio between the horizontal and vertical axes. This equation results in a smooth, closed curve that extends further along the x-axis than the y-axis, giving it a horizontal orientation. Such an ellipse demonstrates three kinds of symmetry: across the x-axis, across the y-axis, and about the origin. These symmetries are essential in understanding the graph's structure and...
01:27Symmetry Elements in a Crystal
Crystal symmetry operations are isometric transformations that map objects onto indistinguishable copies while preserving distances, angles, and volumes. The simplest symmetry operation is translation, which shifts the entire infinite crystal lattice parallelly by a translation vector.Crystallographic rotations involve rotations by an angle of 2π/n around an axis without changing the positions of points on the axis. It is called the rotational axis of the symmetry, denoted by n. The combination...
01:24Normal and Tangetial Components: Problem Solving
Consider a man with a mass of 70 kg seated in a chair connected to a pin support through a member BC. If the man maintains an upright position, the task is to determine the horizontal and vertical reactions of the chair on the man when the member makes a 45° angle with the horizontal. At this moment, the man has a speed of 5 m/s, increasing at a rate of 1 m/s².
02:13Determining the Plane of Cell Division
Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function.
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...