Korean J Leg Med.  2015 Nov;39(4):120-126. 10.7580/kjlm.2015.39.4.120.

Effects of Eye Movements on Recognition in a Manipulated-Face Memory Task

• Ham K
• Pyo C
• Yoo SH
• Kwon J

• KMID: 2130856
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7580/kjlm.2015.39.4.120

Abstract

We evaluated the effects of eye movements on facial feature recognition and memory retrieval. Thirty-eight participants learned the faces of five men, including features of the faces (eyes, nose, and mouth), and then performed a recognition memory task for partially manipulated versions of the faces. Bilateral eye movements, recognition accuracy, and mean fixation duration were evaluated. We observed differences in fixation durations for the manipulated features of the faces (eyes, F(3,78)=11.95, P<0.001; and mouth, F(3,78)=21.38, P<0.001). These findings demonstrate that eye movements have a functional role in learning and recognizing human faces. Furthermore, fixation durations increased for the manipulated facial features, suggesting that eye movements during recognition are not simply patterns produced during learning.

Keyword

Memory; Eye; Movement; Face; Recognition

MeSH Terms

Eye Movements*
Humans
Learning
Male
Memory*
Mouth
Nose

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Example of manipulated eye part of face is demonstrated.

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  Fig. 2. Experimental procedure: study trial (A) and test trial (B).

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  Fig. 3. Manipulated parts of Face are presented based on areas of interest.

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  Fig. 4. Time course in fixation duration of manipulated parts of face: eye (A), nose (B) and mouth (C).

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