Familiar face recognition essay

Question 1

What is familiar face recognition?

Answer 1

It is the ability to recognize faces we have encountered before with high accuracy.

Question 2

What is the Bruce and Young model?

Answer 2

A framework explaining the cognitive mechanisms behind face recognition, including structural encoding, activation of Face Recognition Units (FRUs), and Person Identity Nodes (PINs).

Question 3

What is the main argument of the essay regarding familiar face recognition?

Answer 3

Familiar face recognition is highly robust due to specialized cognitive mechanisms, though factors like within-person variability may challenge it.

Question 4

What is within-person variability?

Answer 4

It refers to changes in a person’s appearance due to factors like aging, head direction, lighting, or camera settings.

Question 5

How accurate is familiar face recognition despite within-person variability?

Answer 5

Studies show a 93% accuracy in recognizing new instances of familiar people despite variability.

Question 6

How does within-person variability challenge traditional face recognition models?

Answer 6

• Traditional models assume stable, consistent facial features.
• Within-person variability shows even familiar faces can look different due to conditions like lighting, angle, and aging.
• Recognition systems and human abilities must account for these dynamic changes to maintain accuracy in real-world contexts.

Question 7

How does familiar face recognition perform with poor-quality images?

Answer 7

A University of Glasgow study showed 95% accuracy even with low-quality CCTV images, increasing to 97% with multiple angles or photos.

Question 8

What did Jenkins & Kerr (2013) discover about corneal reflections?

Answer 8

They found an 84% accuracy in familiar face recognition from reflections in the eye.

Question 9

Can familiar faces be recognized in pixelated images?

Answer 9

Yes, Hole et al. (2002) demonstrated recognition persists even with pixelated or distorted images, using warped images of celebrities.

Question 10

What is the role of the Fusiform Face Area (FFA) in face recognition?

Answer 10

It is the primary brain region involved in recognizing and processing faces.

Question 11

What are the key processes in the Bruce and Young model?

Answer 11

Structural encoding (view-centered and abstract codes), activation of FRUs, and retrieval of semantic information via PINs.

Question 12

What evidence supports the hierarchical structure of face recognition in the Bruce and Young model?

Answer 12

Young et al. (1986) found that FRUs are recalled faster than PINs, supporting the model’s structure.

Question 13

What is a strength of the bruce and young model?

Answer 13

The model provides a clear, step-by-step process for face recognition.

Question 14

What is a weakness of the bruce and young model?

Answer 14

The model does not explain individual differences in face recognition ability, such as the presence of super-recognisers or individuals with prosopagnosia.

Question 15

How does demanding tasks affect face recognition?

Answer 15

Accuracy can decrease under demanding tasks, as seen in Chapman et al.’s study where recognition declined during a one-hour experiment.

Question 16

What practical implications do studies of familiar face recognition have?

Answer 16

They inform the design of security technologies but also reveal limitations, such as failures in machine recognition systems like passport checks.

Question 17

What example highlights the weakness of machine face recognition?

Answer 17

The Manchester Airport passport swap incident illustrates limitations in machine-based face recognition systems.

Question 18

What does the variability in face recognition abilities suggest for face recognition systems?

Answer 18

• Some people perform better than others on standardised face recognition tests.
• Face recognition systems should account for these individual differences in human operators or users.

Question 19

What are the limitations of human and system face recognition?

Answer 19

• Human recognition is robust but can be impaired by contextual changes or demanding tasks.
• Systems must address challenges like recognising faces in varying contexts or under different lighting conditions.

Question 20

What are the key conclusions of the essay on familiar face recognition?

Answer 20

While highly robust and supported by cognitive mechanisms and evidence, familiar face recognition faces challenges from variability but overall remains reliable.

Question 21

List the essay structure of FFR

Answer 21

• Intro
• Robustness of Familiar Face Recognition (within person variability and recognition from degraded outputs).
• Explanation through Bruce and Young Model (Breakdown of model and evidence)
• Limitations of Familiar Face Recognition (within person variability and evidence)
• Implications for Face Recognition Systems (practical application)
• Conclusion