Prosopagnosia

Question 1

Describe face specific problem…

Answer 1

Different systems to process faces and objects
Receive info - right fusiform gyrus decides of familiar face or not
If a match anterior temporal cortex brings up facts about person (name, job, when you last met)
Prosopagnosia = damage to right fusiform gyrus

Question 2

Evidence to support face specific recognition problem…

Answer 2

Brain scans

Case study W.J

Question 3

How do brain scans support…

Answer 3

Pet and fMRI scans shoe right fusiform gyrus is more active during face recognition than object

Question 4

Explain W.J case study

Answer 4

Man developed prosopagnosia couldn’t recognise human faces but could recognise his sheeps face when he became farmer because they’re seen as objects - suggests different systems

Question 5

Describe explanation 2…

Answer 5

Object recognition for specialised objects but faces are important to us hence why prosopagnosia

Question 6

Supporting evidence 2…

Answer 6

Gauthier and Tarr

Question 7

Explain Gauthier and Tarr findings…

Answer 7

Ffa was activated in keen bird watchers when identifying birds but not cars and vise versa. Suggesting ffa is used for recognising things that are important to us or need discrimination. Because of the importance of people is particularly sensitive to faces perhaps

Question 8

Problems with prosopagnosia as a whole…

Answer 8

Lack ecological validity, processing unfamiliar faces is very different to processing familiar ones. Photo often flashed on screen for fraction of a second
Case studies
Good as helped therapists