Differences between Old and Young Adults’ Ability to Recognize Human Faces Underlie Processing of Horizontal Information

Abstract

Recent psychophysical research supports the notion that horizontal information of a face is primarily important for facial identity processes. Even though this has been demonstrated to be valid for young adults, the concept of horizontal information as primary informative source has not yet been applied to older adults’ ability to correctly identify faces. In the current paper, the role different filtering methods might play in an identity processing task is examined for young and old adults, both taken from student populations. Contrary to most findings in the field of developmental face perception, only a near-significant age effect is apparent in upright and un-manipulated presentation of stimuli, whereas a bigger difference between age groups can be observed for a condition which removes all but horizontal information of a face. It is concluded that a critical feature of human face perception, the preferential processing of horizontal information, is less efficient past the age of 60 and is involved in recognition processes that undergo age-related decline usually found in the literature.

An Own-Age Bias in Recognizing Faces with Horizontal Information

“…When recognizing unfiltered faces exposure duration and stimulus age had equal effects on both age groups. This finding adds to the notion that YA and OA do indeed process horizontal information differently (Obermeyer et al, 2012). …”

“…The present study was conducted to extend the research reported by Obermeyer et al (2012). First, only young faces were presented to both age groups.…”

“…Adding a developmental perspective, Obermeyer et al (2012) assessed a group of younger ( M = 21.07 years) and OAs ( M = 66.20 years). Subjects were presented with either horizontally, vertically or unfiltered facial stimuli presented as either upright or inverted.…”

“…In our study, a short encoding interval and a long encoding interval are chosen for inducing different levels of visual expertise with the stimulus material. Analogous to Obermeyer et al (2012), face memory will be assessed presenting unfiltered faces in an encoding phase for unfamiliar faces followed by a recall phase either displaying filtered or unfiltered faces. Since faces with horizontal information are proposed to represent natural faces in a degraded form, it is being investigated whether recognizing filtered faces is associated with unfiltered face recognition for either age group.…”

“…Obermeyer et al (2012) recently reported impaired recognition of faces with horizontal information in older adults (OA) suggesting age-variant processing. Two yet unconsidered factors (stimulus age and exposure duration) that may have influenced previous results, were investigated in this study.…”