Humans are supposedly expert in face recognition. Because of limitations in existing research paradigms, little is known about how faces become familiar in the real world, or the mechanisms that distinguish good from poor recognizers. Here, we capitalized on several unique features of the TV series Game of Thrones to develop a highly challenging test of face recognition that is ecologically grounded yet controls for important factors that affect familiarity. We show that familiarization with faces and reliable person identification require much more exposure than previously suggested. Recognition is impaired by the mere passage of time and simple changes in appearance, even for faces we have seen frequently. Good recognizers are distinguished not by the number of faces they recognize, but by their ability to reject novel faces as unfamiliar. Importantly, individuals with superior recognition abilities also forget faces and are not immune to identification errors.

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<p>A neglect of theoretical development has impaired psychological explanations for intimate partner violence (IPV), which in turn has hindered effective interventions for people who perpetrate IPV. This thesis addresses this problem by applying recent perspectives on classification to examine whether typologies of IPV facilitate useful explanations of these behaviours, and proposes an alternative strategy for classifying IPV. First, the role of classification is discussed, in terms of the theoretical requirements typologies should fulfil, and with specific reference to the classification of offending behaviour. Second, two of the most influential typologies of IPV – Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart’s (1994), and Johnson’s (1995, 2006) typologies – are critically analysed according to their conceptual problems. Third, a preliminary alternative approach to classifying IPV is proposed, in response to recent theoretical developments that suggest a focus on the function of IPV behaviours is required. This Motivational Systems Typology classifies individuals who have perpetrated IPV based on their motivations, and its capacity for facilitating explanations of IPV is demonstrated through an exemplar. Finally, the implications of this typology for understandings of IPV and classification are discussed.</p>

<p>A neglect of theoretical development has impaired psychological explanations for intimate partner violence (IPV), which in turn has hindered effective interventions for people who perpetrate IPV. This thesis addresses this problem by applying recent perspectives on classification to examine whether typologies of IPV facilitate useful explanations of these behaviours, and proposes an alternative strategy for classifying IPV. First, the role of classification is discussed, in terms of the theoretical requirements typologies should fulfil, and with specific reference to the classification of offending behaviour. Second, two of the most influential typologies of IPV – Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart’s (1994), and Johnson’s (1995, 2006) typologies – are critically analysed according to their conceptual problems. Third, a preliminary alternative approach to classifying IPV is proposed, in response to recent theoretical developments that suggest a focus on the function of IPV behaviours is required. This Motivational Systems Typology classifies individuals who have perpetrated IPV based on their motivations, and its capacity for facilitating explanations of IPV is demonstrated through an exemplar. Finally, the implications of this typology for understandings of IPV and classification are discussed.</p>

Humans are supposedly expert in face recognition. Because of limitations in existing research paradigms, little is known about how faces become familiar in the real world, or the mechanisms that distinguish good from poor recognisers. Here, we capitalised on several unique features of the television series Game of Thrones to develop a highly challenging test of face recognition that is ecologically grounded and yet controls for important factors that affect familiarity. We show that familiarisation with faces and reliable person identification require much more exposure than previously suggested. Recognition is impaired by the mere passage of time and simple changes in appearance, even for faces we have seen frequently. Good recognisers are distinguished not by the number of faces they recognise, but by their ability to reject novel faces as unfamiliar. Importantly, individuals with superior recognition abilities also forget faces and are not immune to identification errors.