Holistic Processing of Recognition Memory for Face Identity: Evidence from a Face Morphing Paradigm

Abstract

Holistic face processing refers to a tendency to see face parts as a whole. This study examined whether and how holistic processing affects recognition memory for face identity in a learned/novel morphing continuum. In the study phase of each experiment reported here, adult participants were asked to memorize (i.e., learn) a set of unfamiliar face images by viewing them once or twice. In the test phase, the participants were presented with face images morphed from learned and novel ones and were asked to report whether they viewed the face in the study phase. In Experiment 1, we demonstrated that our morphing paradigm can capture memory selectivity changes (i.e., recognition boundary and sensitivity) associated with learned face identity. In Experiment 2, we demonstrated that whole‐face presentations improved sensitivity to learned/novel face identity, but did not alter the recognition boundary between learned and novel face identity. These results support the view that holistic processing contributes to accurate face identification in recognition memory, even under minimal learning situations.