PisaVisionLab

Taubert, J., Apthorp, D., Aagten-Murphy, D. & Alais, D. (2011). The role of holistic processing in face perception: evidence from the face inversion effect,Vision Res, 11 (51), 1273-1278.PDF

A large body of research supports the hypothesis that the human visual system does not process a face as a collection of separable facial features but as an integrated perceptual whole. One common assumption is that we quickly build holistic representations to extract useful second-order information provided by the variation between the faces of different individuals. An alternative account suggests holistic processing is a fast, early grouping process that first serves to distinguish faces from other competing objects. From this perspective, holistic processing is a quick initial response to the first-order information present in every face. To test this hypothesis we developed a novel paradigm for measuring the face inversion effect, a standard marker of holistic face processing, that measures the minimum exposure time required to discriminate between two stimuli. These new data demonstrate that holistic processing operates on whole upright faces, regardless of whether subjects are required to extract first- or second-level information. In light of this, we argue that holistic processing is a general mechanism that may occur at an earlier stage of face perception than individual discrimination to support the rapid detection of face stimuli in everyday visual scenes.

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Conferences

• Taubert, J., Parr, L. A., & Aagten-Murphy, D. (2010). How first-order information contributes to face discrimination in nonhuman primates. [Abstract]. Journal of Vision, 10(7), 649. [VSS 2010: Poster].
• Aagten-Murphy, D., Taubert, J., & Parr, L.A. (2010). First-order interference in a face discrimination task for nonhuman primates. [Abstract]. Perception 39 ECVP Abstract Supplement, 39, page 92. [ECVP 2010: Poster].
• Murphy, D., & Alais, D. (2009). Evidence for optimal integration of auditory and visual components in audiovisual temporal rate perception dependent on modulation type. [Abstract]. Perception 38 ECVP Abstract Supplement, 38, page 140. [ECVP 2009: Poster].
• Murphy, D., & Alais, D. (2009). Evidence for an interval bias in optimal integration of auditory and visual components in audiovisual temporal rate perception.  [Abstract]. Australian Journal of Psychology, 60, page 81. [ECP 2009: Talk].

• Murphy, D. Auditory Depth Perception of Motion in the Near-Field. Honours thesis, University of Sydney (2009).