Face-specific configural processing of relational information.

Author(s)

Helmut Leder, Claus-Christian Carbon

Abstract

Face processing relies on configural processing, which is thought to be particularly

disrupted by inversion. We compared inversion effects in recognition experiments for

three types of stimuli, using faces (Experiment 1) and houses (Experiment 2). Stimuli

varied by their colour only (colour), by the spatial relations between components

(relational ), or by the components themselves (eyes, mouths, doors). For faces, relational

versions revealed strong inversion effects, component versions moderate, and colour

versions no inversion effect. Recognition of houses revealed no inversion effects at all.

We suggest that the inversion effects observed for faces in the component condition are

due to relational changes, which must accompany any change in components. This

proposal may account for the rather inconsistent effects of inversion reported in

the literature. Furthermore, we suggest configural processing seems to be somehow

face-specific.

Organisation(s)

Journal

British Journal of Psychology

Volume

Pages

19-29

No. of pages

ISSN

0007-1269

Publication date

2006

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

501011 Cognitive psychology

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