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Face distortion aftereffects evoked by featureless first-order stimulus configurations
Pál Vakli1, Kornél Németh, Márta Zimmer
1Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics Budapest, Hungary.
Frontiers in Psychology
|February 14, 2013
Summary
The face distortion aftereffect (FDAE) can be induced by simple stimuli, suggesting higher-level visual processing mediates this phenomenon. This adaptation is sensitive to orientation but not contrast polarity.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- The face distortion aftereffect (FDAE) demonstrates how adapting to distorted faces alters perception of normal faces.
- It's hypothesized that FDAE involves higher-order visual processing, but its link to face-specific configural processing remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if FDAE can be induced by stimuli lacking typical facial features, focusing on first-order configural properties.
- To determine the role of face-specific configural processing in mediating FDAE.
Main Methods:
- Adaptation to a simple triangular dot stimulus (representing first-order facial configuration).
- Testing for FDAE with variations in stimulus size, contrast polarity, orientation, and contrast.
- Comparing aftereffects induced by simplified stimuli versus typical faces.
Main Results:
- A significant FDAE was observed after adaptation to the simplified triangular dot stimulus.
- FDAEs persisted despite changes in adapting/test stimulus size and contrast polarity.
- The aftereffect was abolished by inverting the adapting image or significantly reducing its contrast.
Conclusions:
- Higher-level visual areas involved in processing facial configurations mediate FDAE.
- Adaptation is largely invariant to contrast polarity but sensitive to orientation and lower-level feature saliency.
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