title: Eyeglasses elicit effects similar to face-like perceptual expertise: evidence from the N170 response.
abstract: Studies of event-related potentials show that the specific N170 response has become a stable electrophysiological hallmark of objects related to expertise in early perceptual processing. In the present study, we investigated whether eyeglasses can elicit N170 effects similar to those elicited by objects of expertise. Our results showed that the N170 response elicited by eyeglasses was larger than the response elicited by objects that do not generate perceptual expertise (e.g., houses). Importantly, we found that eyeglasses could produce a within-category N170 adaptation effect, similar to that produced in response to objects of expertise (e.g., faces). Our results have revealed for the first time that with a large amount of experience, eyeglasses could evoke the face-like N170 response, which suggested that eyeglasses may become an object of perceptual expertise to some human observers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321001, China. caoxh@zjnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321001, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
authors.forename: Fengpei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D005139:Eyeglasses; D000066499:Facial Recognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adaptation effect; Eyeglasses; N170; Perceptual expertise