Becoming a "Greeble" expert: exploring mechanisms for face recognition.
Sensitivity to configural changes in face processing has been cited as evidence for face-exclusive mechanisms. Alternatively, general mechanisms could be fine-tuned by experience with homogeneous stimuli. We tested sensitivity to configural transformations for novices and experts with nonface stimuli ("Greebles"). Parts of transformed Greebles were identified via forced-choice recognition. Regardless of expertise level, the recognition of parts in the Studied configuration was better than in isolation, suggesting an object advantage. For experts, recognizing Greeble parts in a Transformed configuration was slower than in the Studied configuration, but only at upright. Thus, expertise with visually similar objects, not faces per se, may produce configural sensitivity.
Gauthier
I
I
Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8205, USA.
Tarr
M J
MJ
D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005145:Face; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D011930:Reaction Time