The role of expansion and adaptability of face-space for individual differences in face identity processing.

Abstract

Individuals can strongly vary in their ability to process face identity. Understanding the mechanisms driving these differences is important for theoretical development, and in clinical and applied contexts. Here we investigate the role of face-space properties in relation to individual face identity processing skills. We consider two fundamental properties of face-space: expansion (how distant from each other similar faces are located in such space) and adaptability (the degree to which these distances change over time). Fifty-two participants performed a face detection task, with faces systematically varying in their location in face-space, and a comprehensive face identity processing test battery. We replicate previous results indicating a detection advantage for typical, as compared with distinctive faces. Critically, we find that neither our measure of face-space expansion nor that of face-space adaptability are related to individual face processing abilities. While future studies might benefit from the use of more sensitive measures of face-space properties, these results suggest that the two examined here do not contribute to individual differences in face processing abilities as previous studies suggest.