Abstract
Certain models of face processing ( Bruce and Young , 1986) postulate that certain types of non-identity based facial information can be processed independently of face identity recognition. Developmental prosopagnosia is characterized by a severe deficit in face-identity recognition. The status of non-identity based face information in this condition would be useful in understanding how face processing happens normally and also in individuals with developmental prosopagnosia. Developmental prosopagnosics generally report no subjective deficits in the perception of age, gender or attractiveness.By looking at associations and dissociations of non-identity facial information like age , gender and attractiveness from face-based identity recognition, the issues of parallel streams of information extraction can be evaluated. Also, the kinds of facial information that are compromised along with face-based identity recognition will speak to the organization of these information processing streams by understanding what deficits go together and what do not. Phenotype differences may also exist in developmental prosopagnosia in the nature of the associations and dissociations – information from individual differences is important in this regard.Correlations of attractiveness judgements by developmental prosopagnosics with those of the control population are discussed. Tests were developed to assess attractiveness, age, gender perception.By testing 16 developmental prosopagnosics, we show that normal age and gender processing can exist in many such cases in spite of face-identity recognition deficits.