title: Facial misidentifications arise from the erroneous activation of visual face memory.
abstract: Misidentifications are a common phenomenon in unfamiliar face processing, but little is known about the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms. We used the face identity-sensitive N250r component of the event-related brain potential as a measure of identity-sensitive face matching process in visual working memory. Two face images were presented in rapid succession, and participants had to judge whether they showed the same or two different individuals. Identity match and mismatch trials were presented in random sequence. On similar mismatch trials, perceptually similar faces of two different individuals were shown, while two physically distinct faces were presented on dissimilar mismatch trials. Misidentification errors occurred on 40% of all similar mismatch trials. N250r components were elicited not only in response to an identity match, but also on trials with misidentification errors. This misidentification N250r was smaller and emerged later than the N250r to correctly detected identity repetitions. Importantly, N250r components were entirely eliminated on similar mismatch trials where participants correctly reported two different facial identities. Results show that misidentification errors are not primarily a post-perceptual decision-related phenomenon, but are generated during early visual stages of identity-related face processing. Misidentification errors occur when stored representations of a particular individual face in visual working memory are incorrectly activated by a perceptual match with a different face.
authors.affiliation: International Research Training Group "Adaptive Minds", Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Campus A2 4, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK. Electronic address: benedikt.wirth@uni-saarland.de.
authors.forename: Benedikt Emanuel
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK. Electronic address: kfishe05@mail.bbk.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK. Electronic address: j.towler@bbk.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Towler
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK. Electronic address: m.eimer@bbk.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eimer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D000066499:Facial Recognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time
keywords: Event-related brain potentials; Face matching; Face perception; Misidentifications; Visual face memory