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Updated: Sep 11, 2025

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Published on: March 1, 2017
Separable processes for live "in-person" and live "zoom-like" faces.
Nan Zhao1,2, Xian Zhang1, J Adam Noah1
1Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
Real, in-person social interactions enhance face processing in the brain. This study found distinct neural and behavioral responses to live, in-person faces compared to online ones, highlighting the importance of natural social contexts.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Human Face Perception
Background:
- The ventral visual stream processes simulated faces.
- Recent studies suggest lateral and dorsal streams process real, interactive faces.
- This raises questions about neural coding for interactive faces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare neural activity for real, in-person vs. online interactive faces.
- To investigate how social context influences face processing mechanisms.
- To test current face processing models against interactive conditions.
Main Methods:
- Comparing neural activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG).
- Utilizing behavioral eye-tracking and pupil diameter measurements.
- Employing two live, interactive face-to-face conditions: in-person and online.
Main Results:
- Behavioral data showed longer visual dwell times and increased arousal for real, in-person faces.
- fNIRS revealed signal increases in dorsal-parietal regions for real faces.
- EEG indicated increased theta power in real conditions, with enhanced synchrony in dorsal-parietal regions for in-person interactions.
Conclusions:
- Neural and behavioral differences underscore the significance of in-person interaction.
- Social context plays a crucial role in live, interactive face processing.
- Naturalistic paradigms are essential for understanding human face perception.
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