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Recognition of upright and inverted faces: a correlational study
Perception
|January 1, 1979
Summary
Replicating previous findings on face recognition proved difficult. Recognizing well-known inverted faces correlated positively with upright face recognition, suggesting a feature-based strategy over orientation correction.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Perception
- Visual Neuroscience
Background:
- Previous research suggested a negative correlation between recognizing upright and inverted faces.
- The ability to recognize inverted faces is thought to be distinct from upright face recognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between upright and inverted face recognition.
- To test alternative explanations for difficulties in inverted face recognition.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-five university admission candidates participated.
- Participants learned and recognized unknown faces both upright and inverted.
- Familiar and unfamiliar faces were presented in normal and inverted orientations for identification.
Main Results:
- A zero correlation was found when unknown faces were learned and recognized inverted.
- A significant positive correlation emerged when familiar faces were identified in both upright and inverted orientations.
- The findings did not replicate Yin's proposed negative correlation.
Conclusions:
- The difficulty in recognizing inverted faces may not stem from a unique face-specific mechanism.
- Rock's theory, suggesting a mechanism for correcting disorientation, offers a plausible explanation.
- An effective strategy for inverted face recognition involves learning isolated features rather than correcting orientation.