Read My Face and Know My Mind

Face perception is the process by which the brain and mind understand and interpret the face, particularly the human face.

Face perception is the process by which the brain and mind understand and interpret the face, particularly the human face.

One of the most widely accepted theories of face perception argues that understanding faces involves several stages: from basic perceptual manipulations of the sensory information to derive details about the person (such as age, gender or attractiveness), to being able to recall details such as name and any relevant past experiences of the individual. This model involves independent sub-processes working in unison:
A ‘view-centred description’ is derived from the perceptual input. Simple physical aspects of the face are used to work out age, gender or primary facial expressions. This initial data is used to create a structural model of the face, which allows it to be compared to other faces in memory, across views. That’s why the same person seen from a new angle can still be recognised.
The structurally encoded representation is transferred to notional ‘face recognition units’ which in conjunction with ‘person identity nodes’ allow the person to be identified by information from memory. Studies show a lot of face perception activity in an area of the temporal lobe known as fusiform gyrus.

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