Converging evidence of configural processing of faces in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

There is conflicting evidence about whether individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate configural processing of faces. We examined two types of configural processing of unfamiliar faces in high-functioning adults with ASD: Holistic processing (processing a face as a gestalt percept) and processing of second-order relations (the spatial relations among facial features, e.g., distance between two eyes). Compared to age-and IQ-matched typical adults, 17 adults with ASD demonstrated normal holistic processing (as demonstrated by the composite face effect), normal sensitivity to second-order relations in upright faces, and the expected disruption of sensitivity to second-order relations in inverted faces. They were also normal in using the internal features and shape of the external contour to make same/different judgements about facial identity. The results provide converging evidence of configural processing of unfamiliar faces in high-functioning adults with ASD, and bring into question the generalizability of previous reports of abnormal face processing in individuals with ASD.Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not always show typical face processing. For example, adults typically show a face inversion effect: Inversion disrupts the recognition of faces more than other visual stimuli such as aeroplanes and houses (Yin, 1969). Individuals with ASD are worse than typical individuals at face recognition (e.g., Behrmann et al., 2006), and also tend to show a much smaller inversion effect (e.g., Hobson,

Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…In support of this, Nishimura, et al (2008) provided strong evidence for typical processing of faces by adults with ASD. In a series of studies investigating holistic processing (composite faces task) and configural processing ("Jane task" by Mondloch et al, 2002) Nishimura andcolleagues (2008) showed that adults with ASD demonstrated normal holistic processing and normal sensitivity to second-order relations in both upright and inverted faces, thus providing evidence of configural processing of unfamiliar faces.…”

“…A study that directly tested the processing of configural information in faces and whether this was affected by inversion in individuals with autism was that of Nishimura, Rutherford and Maurer (2008). The authors replicated the study by Mondloch et al (2002) in which one face was manipulated in order to create sets of faces differing either in features, configurations or facial contour.…”

“…But, as opposed to the above, Nishimura, Rutherford & Maurer (2008) supported the notion of typical holistic face processing in autism since they found typical performance in adults with autism on the composite face effect.…”

“…Participants had to match faces that were presented either upright or inverted. Nishimura et al (2008) found that not only were participants with autism able to detect the configural changes in faces, but they also demonstrated a large inversion effect for these sets of faces similar to comparison participants matched on chronological age and full-scale IQ.…”

“…So, in Teunisse & de Gelder' s (2003) study, participants with autism showed the typical inversion effect when processing faces, and in a study by Rouse, Donelly, Hadwin & Brown (2004), which tested participants' performance on the Thatcher illusion, both participants with autism and typical participants were equally sensitive to the illusion and therefore had the ability to compute second-order relations among the features of a face. Adding to that, a recent study by Nishimura, Rutherford & Maurer (2008) provided strong evidence that adults with ASD show the normal composite face effect and are able to identify faces based only on second-order configural information ("Jane task" by .…”