Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
07:34
Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues
Published on: June 3, 2013
Double Dissociation between Overt and Covert Face Recognition
D Tranel1, H Damasio, A R Damasio
1University of Iowa College of Medicine.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|August 22, 2013
Summary
Patients with ventromedial frontal damage can recognize familiar faces but lack skin conductance responses (SCRs). This contrasts with face agnosia patients, revealing separate neural systems for stimulus recognition and emotional processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neurology
Background:
- Face agnosia (prosopagnosia) involves occipitotemporal damage, impairing overt face recognition but preserving covert skin conductance responses (SCRs) to familiar faces.
- This suggests a dissociation between recognition and emotional/somatic processing in face perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural basis of emotional processing in face recognition.
- To identify the role of ventromedial frontal cortex in generating somatic responses to familiar faces.
Main Methods:
- Studied four patients with bilateral ventromedial frontal damage.
- Assessed face recognition ability and skin conductance responses (SCRs) to familiar and unfamiliar faces.
Main Results:
- Patients with ventromedial frontal damage recognized familiar faces normally.
- These patients failed to produce discriminatory SCRs to familiar faces, unlike patients with occipitotemporal damage.
- A double dissociation was observed between recognition and SCR discrimination based on lesion location.
Conclusions:
- Bilateral ventromedial frontal damage impairs somatic-based emotional responses to familiar faces while preserving recognition.
- Neural systems for processing factual information (recognition) and somatic-based valence (emotional response) are distinct and parallel.
- This research clarifies the neural architecture underlying face perception and emotional processing.
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,...
01:24Facial 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...
01:27Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative disorders represent complex psychological conditions characterized by disruptions in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception. These disruptions cause individuals to experience a disconnection from their thoughts, emotions, and memories. The phenomenon is not merely an occasional lapse in attention but a profound alteration in mental functioning that can severely impact daily life.
Dissociative Fugue
A hallmark feature of dissociative disorders is the dissociative fugue...
Dissociative Fugue
A hallmark feature of dissociative disorders is the dissociative fugue...
01:13Nonconscious Mimicry
Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.
01:30Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously termed multiple personality disorder, is a complex psychological condition characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states. Each identity exhibits unique patterns of behavior, voice, and mannerisms and may possess separate memories and emotional responses. The alternating control between identities can result in memory gaps and challenges in recalling daily activities, often exacerbating the individual's...
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...