The architecture of human face processing in typical and atypical populations: Combining behavioural and electrophysiological measures

Lead Research Organisation: Birkbeck, University of London
Department Name: Psychological Sciences

Abstract

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Description We study people without perceptual problems, intellectual impairment or neurological damage who find it extremely hard to recognize family and friends from their faces. Many of these people with developmental prosopagnosia (DP) have no major problems with object recognition, but show severe deficits in the processing of facial identity. We employed behavioural and electrophysiological measures to study which aspects of face processing are damaged in DP. Our results show that early visual-perceptual stages of face processing are a major cause for the face recognition problems in DP. People with intact face perception process upright faces in a "configural" fashion, whereas the processing of inverted faces is "part-based". People with DP do not show typical processing differences between upright and inverted faces, indicating that their ability to process upright faces in a configural/holistic fashion did not develop typically. We have also shown that in some instances where DPs fail to recognize famous faces, stored visual face memories are still activated, suggesting that face recognition problems can be due to impaired links between visual and semantic face memory.
Identifying face processing impairments in DPs aids our understanding of normal face perception, and is important to determine the roots of individual face recognition difficulties, which can have enormous socio-emotional effects. Many DPs have difficulty maintaining friendships due to perceived 'snubs' and experience severe recognition-related difficulties at their workplace.
Exploitation Route Societal impact:

Apart from the core science, another important focus of our project work is on activities aimed at creating networks for individuals with DP, and improving public understanding of this condition. The London-based group of DPs linked to our research is the world's largest, and has become a focal point for formal and informal contacts, and for a series of initiatives that are led or supported by our research team:

- We organize an annual face-blindness Open Day Event at Birkbeck. Our first Open Day on 20 September 2011 was attended by 40 DPs, representing the largest meeting of DPs ever: http://www.faceblind.org/links/Face%20to%20Face%20Newsletter%20-%20Winter%202012.pdf
Our second Open Day on 5th October 2012 was even more successful, with more than 70 participants from the UK and abroad:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/events-calendar/prosopagnosia-open-day; http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2012/10/09/members-of-bus-centre-for-face-processing-disorders-attend-prosopagnosia-open-day-at-birkbeck/
This 2012 Open Day was a 'user led' forum, much of the conference platform was given over to people with prosopagnosia and their family members to share their own experiences of living with the condition. As a direct outcome of the first event in 2011, two face-blind attendees have authored books on the subject of face-blindness, one of which was a collection of short narratives gleaned from those attending the 2011 event.

- Our DP Facebook group, which we created in 2010, currently has 300+ members, is constantly growing, and has become a lively forum where DPs can exchange their experiences and support each other:
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=173408949437929&id=100003064768549#!/groups/117013401655030/

- We provide the facilities for The London Face-blind Support Group. This is a 'user led' information, support and 'drop-in' service that is run on a two-monthly basis at our research institute at Birkbeck, and is regularly supported by those with face-blindness living in the London area.
Sectors Education,Healthcare
 
Description Societal impact: Apart from the core science, another important focus of our project work is on activities aimed at creating networks for individuals with DP, and improving public understanding of this condition. The London-based group of DPs linked to our research is the world's largest, and has become a focal point for formal and informal contacts, and for a series of initiatives that are led or supported by our research team: - We organize an annual face-blindness Open Day Event at Birkbeck. Our first Open Day on 20 September 2011 was attended by 40 DPs, representing the largest meeting of DPs ever: http://www.faceblind.org/links/Face%20to%20Face%20Newsletter%20-%20Winter%202012.pdf Our second Open Day on 5th October 2012 was even more successful, with more than 70 participants from the UK and abroad: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/events-calendar/prosopagnosia-open-day; http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2012/10/09/members-of-bus-centre-for-face-processing-disorders-attend-prosopagnosia-open-day-at-birkbeck/ This 2012 Open Day was a 'user led' forum, much of the conference platform was given over to people with prosopagnosia and their family members to share their own experiences of living with the condition. As a direct outcome of the first event in 2011, two face-blind attendees have authored books on the subject of face-blindness, one of which was a collection of short narratives gleaned from those attending the 2011 event. - Our DP Facebook group, which we created in 2010, currently has 300+ members, is constantly growing, and has become a lively forum where DPs can exchange their experiences and support each other: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=173408949437929&id=100003064768549#!/groups/117013401655030/ - We provide the facilities for The London Face-blind Support Group. This is a 'user led' information, support and 'drop-in' service that is run on a two-monthly basis at our research institute at Birkbeck, and is regularly supported by those with face-blindness living in the London area.
First Year Of Impact 2010
Sector Education,Healthcare
Impact Types Societal,Policy & public services