June 2007
Volume 7, Issue 9
Free
Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting Abstract  |   June 2007
View-invariant representation of unfamiliar faces in the fusiform face area
Author Affiliations
  • Galit Yovel
    Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Israel
  • Inbal Bartal
    Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Journal of Vision June 2007, Vol.7, 1. doi:https://doi.org/10.1167/7.9.1
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      Galit Yovel, Inbal Bartal; View-invariant representation of unfamiliar faces in the fusiform face area. Journal of Vision 2007;7(9):1. https://doi.org/10.1167/7.9.1.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

The role of the FFA in the processing of face identity has been convincingly demonstrated in several studies. However, it is still unclear whether face identity information is represented in a view-invariant or view-specific manner. Specifically for unfamiliar faces, most studies that examined this question concluded that the FFA representation is view-specific. In the current study we used an event-related fMR-adaptation paradigm with a very short delay (ISI=150 ms) between the first and second face. Subjects viewed sequential presentation of pairs of same-view unfamiliar faces that were of the same-identity or different-identity, as well as pairs of same-identity/different-view faces that differed in 30, 60 or 90 degrees. Behavioral data we collected in a sequential face matching task show that subjects discrimiated pairs of faces that differed in 30 and 60 degrees as well as two same-view faces, but performance deteriorated for faces that differed in 90 degrees. Functional MRI findings showed higher response to different-identity/same-view than same-identity/same-view pairs of faces (fMR-adaptation effect), which replicates pervious reports. Importantly, consistent with our behavioral findings, we found an fMR-adaptation effect for same-identity/different-view pairs of faces that differed in 30 or 60 degrees, but not for same-identity/different-view faces that differed in 90 degrees. Our results suggest that the representation of the identity of unfamiliar faces in the FFA is view-invariant, at least for angular differences of 30 and 60 degrees. We hypothesize that the FFA maintains such a general identity representation for a very short period of time and therefore it has not been revealed in fMRI repetition studies that have employed longer repetition delays.

Yovel, G. Bartal, I. (2007). View-invariant representation of unfamiliar faces in the fusiform face area [Abstract]. Journal of Vision, 7(9):1, 1a, http://journalofvision.org/7/9/1/, doi:10.1167/7.9.1. [CrossRef]
Footnotes
 supported by a grant from the Adams Super Center for Brain Studies
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