Citation

McCleery JP, Zhang L, Ge L, Wang Z, Christiansen EM, Lee K, Cottrell GW. Vision Res. 2008; 48(5): 703-715.

Affiliation

University of California, San Diego, Department of Psychology, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0109, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.visres.2007.11.025

PMID

18226826

PMCID

PMC2267768

Abstract

Research has shown that inverting faces significantly disrupts the processing of configural information, leading to a face inversion effect. We recently used a contextual priming technique to show that the presence or absence of the face inversion effect can be determined via the top-down activation of face versus non-face processing systems [Ge, L., Wang, Z., McCleery, J., and Lee, K. (2006). Activation of face expertise and the inversion effect. Psychological Science, 17(1), 12-16]. In the current study, we replicate these findings using the same technique but under different conditions. We then extend these findings through the application of a neural network model of face and Chinese character expertise systems. Results provide support for the hypothesis that a specialized face expertise system develops through extensive training of the visual system with upright faces, and that top-down mechanisms are capable of influencing when this face expertise system is engaged.

Language: en