Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Facial Feedback Hypothesis01:24

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

Charles Darwin proposed that facial expressions are an evolutionary adaptation for communication. He argued that these expressions are not influenced by culture but are universal across species. For example, a snarling expression with exposed teeth signals a threat in many animals, including humans. Darwin also suggested that displaying an emotion can intensify the feeling. Smiling, for example, could enhance one's sense of happiness. This idea laid the foundation for understanding the role of...
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association 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,...
Prosopagnosia01:24

Prosopagnosia

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...
Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development01:30

Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development

Social-emotional experiences and cultural influences play significant roles in shaping gender development. During middle childhood, from ages 6 to 11, peer groups become dominant in reinforcing gender norms. Children in this age group often align with same-gender peer groups, which actively encourage behaviors that conform to traditional gender roles. For instance, boys may be discouraged from engaging in activities perceived as feminine, reinforcing culturally dictated norms about masculinity...
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes01:15

Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes

Cognitive processes affect social behavior by guiding how individuals perceive, interpret, and respond to social stimuli. These mental processes enable individuals to assess others' behaviors, attribute causes to their actions, and form expectations based on past experiences.Causes of Behavior and Social JudgmentsIndividuals determine the causes of others' behaviors by distinguishing between personal traits and external circumstances. For example, if a friend frequently arrives late, an...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

State-dependent dual-site prefrontal TMS bidirectionally modulates working-memory accuracy.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2026
Same author

Local processors and global integrators: Identifying L2 reader profiles using mixture item response theory models.

Acta psychologica·2026
Same author

Beyond variance: sensitivity-based dimensions in brain networks underlie individual differences in cognitive ability.

ArXiv·2026
Same author

Gateway to Syntax: On the Neural Origins of the Left Anterior Negativity and Their Functional Implications.

Neurobiology of language (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
Same author

No Unique Magnocellular Facilitation in Parafoveal Processing: A Combined EEG and Eye Tracking Study.

Neurobiology of language (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
Same author

Shades of smiles: creating variants of smiles from neutral images of real individuals - method and validation.

Psychological research·2026
Same journal

Corrigendum to "Finding calm to stay engaged: Foreign language peace of mind as a mediator between L2 growth mindset and engagement among Chinese EFL learners" [Acta Psychologica 260 (2025) 105548].

Acta psychologica·2026
Same journal

Relational context shapes interpersonal coordination in naturalistic interaction.

Acta psychologica·2026
Same journal

Objectification at work: The impact of algorithmic management on employee work engagement.

Acta psychologica·2026
Same journal

MRI correlates of emotion recognition in vascular dementia: An empty systematic review.

Acta psychologica·2026
Same journal

The core symptoms of elementary school students' fear of negative evaluation and its network relationship with self-confidence and family atmosphere.

Acta psychologica·2026
Same journal

Examining the moderating role of psychological hardiness in the relation between job demands and teachers' emotional exhaustion.

Acta psychologica·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2026

Analyzing Neural Activity and Connectivity Using Intracranial EEG Data with SPM Software
06:50

Analyzing Neural Activity and Connectivity Using Intracranial EEG Data with SPM Software

Published on: October 30, 2018

Sex differences in face cognition.

Werner Sommer1, Andrea Hildebrandt, Olga Kunina-Habenicht

  • 1Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany. werner.sommer@cms.hu-berlin.de

Acta Psychologica
|December 13, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Women outperform men in face perception and memory, with these differences persisting even after accounting for general cognitive abilities. Social factors also influence face memory performance in both sexes.

More Related Videos

Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues
07:34

Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues

Published on: June 3, 2013

Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome
08:31

Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome

Published on: July 31, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 16, 2026

Analyzing Neural Activity and Connectivity Using Intracranial EEG Data with SPM Software
06:50

Analyzing Neural Activity and Connectivity Using Intracranial EEG Data with SPM Software

Published on: October 30, 2018

Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues
07:34

Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues

Published on: June 3, 2013

Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome
08:31

Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome

Published on: July 31, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Human behavior

Background:

  • Existing research indicates female superiority in face cognition (FC).
  • However, nuances regarding sex differences in specific FC abilities require further investigation.
  • Measurement invariance across sexes is crucial for unbiased comparisons.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reanalyze FC data on latent factor levels across three independent adult samples.
  • To investigate sex differences in face perception (FP) and face memory (FM) while controlling for general cognitive functioning.
  • To explore the influence of age, social involvement, and object perception on sex differences in FC.

Main Methods:

  • Reanalysis of an extensive FC test battery data from over 800 adults.
  • Structural equation modeling to assess measurement invariance of FC constructs across sexes.
  • Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to compare sex differences in FP and FM, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Measurement structure of FC was invariant for both sexes, validating direct performance comparisons.
  • Female superiority in FP and FM was confirmed and persisted after controlling for general cognitive ability and object perception.
  • Sex differences in FM widened with age due to men's performance decline, while women's remained stable.
  • Social involvement and things-oriented activities moderated sex differences in FM.

Conclusions:

  • Sex differences in FC are specific to constructs like FP and FM.
  • These differences are partially explained by social factors, not solely by general cognitive abilities.
  • The findings highlight the importance of considering measurement invariance and social influences in sex difference research.