Face aftereffects improve discriminability for similar faces

Citation

Zhao C & Hancock PJB (2007) Face aftereffects improve discriminability for similar faces. Perception, 36, pp. 156-156.

Abstract
Abstract of Poster: Previous studies have demonstrated a face identity aftereffect that facilitates face identification performance [2]. Adaptation should improve discrimination between faces in the region of the adapting stimulus, but this has not previously been demonstrated. We report an investigation on face discrimination, using faces distorted with the Photoshop spherize function to be either expanded or compressed. We did psychophysical experiments on 13 participants using an adaptive Bayesian method in order to present stimuli efficiently and effectively. The participants were adapted to systematically distorted faces (-60% or +60%) and then tested on discrimination sensitivity around both +60 and -60. The results show that discrimination is facilitated at -60% after repetitive adaptation to -60% faces, but not significantly facilitated at +60% following adaptation to +60. Overall, there is a significant shift in discriminability with adaptation condition. We conclude that face discrimination can be facilitated at the point of adaptation but that demonstrating such an improvement will require a more tightly controlled stimulus presentation protocol.

Journal
Perception: Volume 36