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facial recognition

This shows people looking at each other.

·June 21, 2025·4 min read

Why Some People Struggle to Recognize Faces of Other Races

New research reveals that some individuals may experience selective difficulty recognizing faces from racial groups different from their own, a phenomenon known as category-selective face blindness. While general face blindness (prosopagnosia) is well-documented, this study shows that many people perform well with own-race faces but poorly with others.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 6, 2025·6 min read

Neural Processing Gaps Explain Other-Race Face Blindness

Researchers have combined artificial intelligence and EEG brain activity data to better understand the Other-Race Effect (ORE), where people recognize faces of their own race more accurately than others. Studies revealed that participants processed other-race faces with less neural detail, seeing them as more average, younger, and more expressive.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 11, 2024·5 min read

From Face to Feeling: Context Shapes Emotion Recognition

Emotion recognition extends far beyond facial expressions, involving a rich interplay of context, physical attributes, and background knowledge. Researchers propose that recognizing emotion is part of forming an overall impression of a person, shaped by cues like clothing, perceived social roles, and personal history. For instance, a facial expression of fear might be interpreted as anger if background context suggests it.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 25, 2024·5 min read

Innate Brain Mechanism for Face Recognition Discovered

A new study shows that the brain may be naturally wired to recognize faces. Researchers found that neurons in the brains of one-week-old chicks, which had never seen faces before, responded to face-like patterns of three dots resembling eyes and a mouth.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 29, 2024·4 min read

Study Finds Faces Evolve to Match Names Over Time

A new study reveals that a person's face tends to evolve to suit their name, demonstrating the profound impact of social expectations. The research showed that adults' faces could be matched to their names with high accuracy, while children's faces could not.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·July 23, 2024·5 min read

Researchers Use Game of Thrones to Study Face Blindness

Researchers used Game of Thrones to study how the brain recognizes faces, providing insights into prosopagnosia, a condition affecting facial recognition in 1 in 50 people. MRI scans showed increased brain activity in regions associated with character knowledge in fans of the series, but reduced activity in those unfamiliar with the show and in prosopagnosia patients.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 18, 2024·6 min read

Infants Use Mom’s Scent to Recognize Faces

A new study reveals that infants use their mother's scent to enhance facial recognition. This ability to integrate sensory cues improves significantly between four and twelve months of age. Researchers found that younger infants rely heavily on their mother's scent, while older infants depend more on visual information alone. The findings highlight the importance of multisensory exposure for early cognitive development.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 18, 2024·3 min read

Brain’s Social Bonding Mechanism Unveiled

A new study reveals how our brains remember the faces of caregivers and loved ones. Researchers discovered that the same brain mechanism used to remember the value of objects is also involved in associating faces with familiarity and social bonds. This finding sheds light on the neural basis of social relationships and may have implications for understanding and treating disorders like Parkinson's disease.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·November 22, 2023·5 min read

How Blind People Recognize Faces via Sound

A new study reveals that people who are blind can recognize faces using auditory patterns processed by the fusiform face area, a brain region crucial for face processing in sighted individuals. The study employed a sensory substitution device to translate images into sound, demonstrating that face recognition in the brain isn't solely dependent on visual experience.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology Visual Neuroscience

·September 22, 2023·5 min read

Upside Down World: Unique View Offers Clues to Face Recognition

Claudio's unique head orientation—rotated nearly 180 degrees—allowed researchers to explore the evolutionary and experiential factors in face recognition. While most people struggle to recognize inverted faces, Claudio's distinct vantage point put this ability to the test.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 2, 2023·4 min read

Instant Recognition: Brain Spots Power Players at Lightning Speed

Researchers made a significant discovery about how quickly our brains can identify people in positions of power. The team conducted a study in which participants interacted with others perceived to be significantly better or worse at a particular game.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·February 13, 2023·4 min read

Even the Best Models for Reading Facial Expressions May Be Partly Subjective

Even the best models for recognizing facial emotions fall short of real human judgment. Additionally, individual differences mean different people read different emotions from the same face, making it harder to ascertain exactly which facial movements are systematically linked to different emotional states.