title: How distinct is the coding of face identity and expression? Evidence for some common dimensions in face space.
abstract: Traditional models of face perception emphasize distinct routes for processing face identity and expression. These models have been highly influential in guiding neural and behavioural research on the mechanisms of face perception. However, it is becoming clear that specialised brain areas for coding identity and expression may respond to both attributes and that identity and expression perception can interact. Here we use perceptual aftereffects to demonstrate the existence of dimensions in perceptual face space that code both identity and expression, further challenging the traditional view. Specifically, we find a significant positive association between face identity aftereffects and expression aftereffects, which dissociates from other face (gaze) and non-face (tilt) aftereffects. Importantly, individual variation in the adaptive calibration of these common dimensions significantly predicts ability to recognize both identity and expression. These results highlight the role of common dimensions in our ability to recognize identity and expression, and show why the high-level visual processing of these attributes is not entirely distinct.
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. Electronic address: gillian.rhodes@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pond
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Nichola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kloth
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jeffery
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ewing
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Calder
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palermo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005149:Facial Expression; D000066499:Facial Recognition; D005260:Female; D005366:Figural Aftereffect; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adaptive coding; Face aftereffects; Face perception; Face recognition