Individual Differences in Face Cognition: Psychometrics and Neural Underpinnings

Fast and accurate processing of faces (person identity, emotion, eye gaze, speech movements, gender, attractiveness) is essential for human communication and interaction. Although much work has been done on the general processes and mechanisms of this astonishing human ability, there is much less research on the large differences between persons and even less on the underlying neural mechanisms. During the last 10 years my colleagues and I have studied both questions in a number of large-scale experiments. In my presentation I will first summarize our results about the cognitive structure of face cognition and whether it is affected by age and gender. Then I will report our research on the neural mechanisms of individual differences in face cognition, as reflected in event-related brain potentials. Finally I will talk about recent endeavours to capture neural correlates of eye gaze/contact and the voluntary production of emotional expressions and whether they are modulated by recent motherhood.

We would like to extend an invitation to all of you to join us on this exciting event.

For enquiry, please contact Ms. Ana Sou at tel: 8822 4600 or email: ici.cogbrainsci@um.edu.mo.