What's a super-recogniser?

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human Perception

Background:

• The term 'super-recognizer' (SR) was introduced by Russell et al. in 2009.
• SRs exhibit exceptional face perception and recognition capabilities.
• Despite media attention, a uniform operational definition for SRs is lacking, hindering research consistency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the lack of a standardized definition for super-recognizers (SRs).
• To propose a clear and flexible rule for qualifying individuals as SRs.
• To advocate for open research practices and detailed case documentation in SR research.

Main Methods:

• Review and analysis of existing literature on super-recognizers.
• Proposal of a novel, standardized operational definition for SRs.
• Exemplary presentation and documentation of 70 super-recognizer cases.

Main Results:

• The proposed definition offers a precise yet flexible criterion for identifying SRs.
• Standardization will enable more reliable comparisons between different SR studies.
• Open documentation of cases enhances research transparency and reproducibility.

Conclusions:

• A clear, standardized definition is crucial for advancing super-recognizer research.
• Adoption of proposed criteria will improve the quality and comparability of SR studies.
• Emphasis on open science practices is vital for the field's progress.