Identifying sources of configural face processing

Abstract

Absence of a precise definition of configural processing in face perception has resulted in previous demonstrations now being accounted for by decisional rather than perceptual processes(Wenger & Ingvalson, 2002, 2003; Richler, Gauthier, Wenger, & Palmeri, 2008; Cornes, Donnelly, Godwin, & Wenger, 2011). In this thesis, I show that many of the difficulties in discriminating between competing accounts of configural processing result from an incomplete mapping between theoretical frameworks, experiments and data. Furthermore, by using general recognition theory (GRT, Ashby & Townsend, 1986) to make the mapping more complete, I demonstrate perceptual and decisional sources of configurality across three face processing tasks. GRT provides formal definitions for the ways in which multiple stimulus dimensions can interact, and thus provides a framework for modelling the dependencies that are indicative of configural processing. Changes to feature size, feature identity and feature orientation have been explored within the GRT framework. For one of these tasks, The Feature Orientation Task which is analogous to the Thatcher illusion (Thompson, 1980), evidence for three types of dependencies exists. Converging evidence for multiple sources of configurality was provided when stimuli from this Thatcher illusion task were used in an event-­?related potential(ERP) study. The ERP task revealed evidence for a decisional effect and a mapping between the GRT violations and the ERP effects identified across the face components. Finally, the value in applying GRT to specific populations is demonstrated in studies of development and prosopagnosia. Overall, this thesis demonstrates there are multiple sources of configural face processing and the GRT paradigm is helpful in understanding the development, stability and impairments of these sources.

More information

Identifiers

Catalogue record

Export record