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Sensitivity to horizontal and vertical spatial relations in younger and older adults' face perception
David Kurbel1, Bozana Meinhardt-Injac2, Günter Meinhardt1
1Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Vision Research
|January 23, 2026
Summary
Aging impairs face perception, particularly sensitivity to vertical spatial relations between facial features. Older adults showed significant declines in processing vertical cues and integrating facial information compared to younger adults.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Human Perception
- Aging Research
Background:
- Visual functions, including face perception, decline with age.
- Understanding age-related changes in processing spatial relationships among facial features is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in sensitivity to second-order spatial relations (horizontal and vertical) of facial features.
- To examine how internal and external facial features influence age-related face perception declines.
Main Methods:
- A change detection task was used with younger and older adults.
- Stimuli included faces with manipulated eye distance (horizontal, H) and eye height (vertical, V).
- Facial features were presented in isolation or with external context, and face inversion effects were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Vertical spatial relations showed a more pronounced age-related decline than horizontal relations.
- Older adults performed worse with isolated internal features and relied more on external features.
- Both age groups exhibited similar face inversion effects, suggesting preserved category-specific processing.
Conclusions:
- Aging significantly impairs the coding of internal facial features and spatial cue integration, especially for vertical relations.
- Despite declines, intact face inversion effects suggest that older adults still utilize specialized face processing modules.
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