How Faces Differ—A New Comparative Technique

It can be argued that the process of recognising faces progresses in two stages: first, the realisation that a perceived image contains patterns that may most reasonably be interpreted as forming a discrete face; second, correct and positive identification by noting the particular features that differentiate one face from all others. A novel technique which explored the latter process in the particular case of four different (male) faces is described. The experiment took the form of a four-alternatives forced-choice presentation of faces behind masks which contained a number of randomly positioned apertures. The percentage of correct responses for each separate aperture was then computed after a large number of 1 s presentations to four observers. This novel form of experiment suggested an equally novel form of pictorial data presentation that, literally, highlights the salient features of each individual face and thereby allows detailed intercomparison merely by inspection. Summing over all targets and observers reveals a strong preference for eyes and eyebrows, followed closely by the hairline above the temples. Next in order of preference comes the mouth and upper-lip area, followed by the lateral hairline beside each temple. Individual differences are strong, however, and the variations are such as to suggest that the uncritical application of generalised feature saliency lists is neither useful nor appropriate.