The Israeli Face Database (IFD): A multi-ethnic database of faces with supporting social norming data

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Perception Science

Background:

• Face representations are crucial for social interactions and widely used in psychological research.
• Existing face databases lack diversity, primarily featuring Western, White populations, limiting generalizability.
• There is a need for diverse face stimuli to improve the validity of psychological research findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce the Israeli Face Database (IFD) to address the lack of diversity in face perception research.
• Provide a novel, ethnically diverse set of face images from individuals residing in Israel.
• Offer a valuable tool for diversifying stimuli in social-psychological research.

Main Methods:

• Developed the Israeli Face Database (IFD) with multiple controlled images per identity and various facial expressions.
• Collected detailed demographic data for face identities.
• Gathered expression validation data from Israeli participants and social norming data from Israeli and US-based participants.

Main Results:

• Expression images in the IFD were validated, accurately conveying intended emotions (Study 1).
• Social norming data showed broad cross-cultural consistency in judgments of IFD faces (Study 2).
• Notable variations in perceived typicality and ethnic diversity were observed across cultures.

Conclusions:

• The IFD possesses strong psychometric properties, suitable for diverse research applications.
• The database captures nuanced cultural and individual differences in face perception.
• The IFD is proposed as a valuable resource for enhancing diversity in social-psychological research stimuli.