Abstract
Previous research examining face identity processing (FIP) has shown that robust, face-selective neural responses occur within 170ms in neurotypical adults (Rossion et al., 2020). However, whether their amplitude or speed varies as a function of FIP ability remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated face-selective neural responses from conservatively assessed Super-Recognizers (SRs; Russell et al., 2009; Ramon, 2021) and controls, in a pair of fast periodic visual stimulation EEG experiments. In Experiment 1, observers were shown random sequences of naturalistic “base” images of objects and animals, 167ms at a time (6Hz), interleaved with face or house “oddballs” once per second (1Hz), while they performed an orthogonal task. In Experiment 2, we varied base presentation duration (50ms, 100ms) and rate (10Hz, 20Hz), with face oddballs presented at 1Hz. In Experiment 1, both groups exhibited greater neural responses for faces compared to house oddballs at early harmonics. In Experiment 2, face oddball responses were substantially reduced at 10Hz (100ms duration), but much less so for SRs. Even at shorter presentation durations (10Hz; 50ms duration), SRs’ face-selective neural responses at early harmonics remained unchanged, whereas controls’ were further reduced. At the fastest presentation rates, both groups’ face oddball responses were indistinguishable from houses. Given sufficient time (i.e. 167ms), oddball neural responses were face-selective in both groups. At faster presentation rates and shorter stimulus durations, though, SRs’ advantages become clearer. First, they show sustained face oddball responses at higher presentation rates, and second, at shorter durations. Potentially, 20Hz presentations of base images were fast enough to backwards-mask oddballs, inhibiting face-selective responses in both groups. Taken together, these results imply that FIP proceeds faster among SRs relative to controls.