Exploring Levels of Face Familiarity by Using an Indirect Face-Matching Measure

Perception ◽  
10.1068/p3335 ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 985-994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Clutterbuck ◽  
Robert A Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Face Processing ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Indirect Measure ◽  
Face Matching ◽  
External Feature ◽  
Unfamiliar Face ◽  
Matching Performance ◽  
Unfamiliar Faces

An experiment is reported in which participants matched complete images of unfamiliar, moderately familiar, and highly familiar faces with simultaneously presented images of internal and external features. Participants had to decide if the two images depicted same or different individuals. Matches to internal features were made faster to highly familiar faces than both to moderately familiar and to unfamiliar faces, and matches to moderately familiar faces were made faster than to unfamiliar faces. For external feature matches, this advantage was only found for “different” decision matches to highly familiar faces compared to unfamiliar faces. The results indicate that the differences in familiar and unfamiliar face processing are not the result of all-or-none effects, but seem to have a graded impact on matching performance. These findings extend the earlier work of Young et al (1985 Perception14 737–746), and we discuss the possibility of using the matching task as an indirect measure of face familiarity.

Within-person variability can improve the identification of unfamiliar faces across changes in viewpoint

2021 ◽  
pp. 174702182110097
Author(s):  
Niamh Hunnisett ◽  
Simone Favelle
Keyword(s):  
Image Matching ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Target Image ◽  
Front View ◽  
Multiple Image ◽  
Profile View ◽  
Unfamiliar Face ◽  
Matching Performance ◽  
Sequential Matching ◽  
Unfamiliar Faces

Unfamiliar face identification is concerningly error prone, especially across changes in viewing conditions. Within-person variability has been shown to improve matching performance for unfamiliar faces, but this has only been demonstrated using images of a front view. In this study, we test whether the advantage of within-person variability from front views extends to matching to target images of a face rotated in view. Participants completed either a simultaneous matching task (Experiment 1) or a sequential matching task (Experiment 2) in which they were tested on their ability to match the identity of a face shown in an array of either one or three ambient front-view images, with a target image shown in front, three-quarter, or profile view. While the effect was stronger in Experiment 2, we found a consistent pattern in match trials across both experiments in that there was a multiple image matching benefit for front, three-quarter, and profile-view targets. We found multiple image effects for match trials only, indicating that providing observers with multiple ambient images confers an advantage for recognising different images of the same identity but not for discriminating between images of different identities. Signal detection measures also indicate a multiple image advantage despite a more liberal response bias for multiple image trials. Our results show that within-person variability information for unfamiliar faces can be generalised across views and can provide insights into the initial processes involved in the representation of familiar faces.

scholarly journals A grey area: How does image hue affect unfamiliar face matching?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna K Bobak ◽  
Viktoria Roumenova Mileva ◽  
Peter Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Matching Task ◽  
Mixed Condition ◽  
Face Matching ◽  
Matching Test ◽  
Unfamiliar Face Matching ◽  
Unfamiliar Face ◽  
Matching Performance ◽  
Small Decline ◽  
Clear Shift

The role of image colour in face identification has received little attention in research despite the importance of identifying people from photographs in identity documents (IDs). Here, in two experiments, we investigated whether colour congruency of two photographs shown side by side affects face matching accuracy. Participants were presented with two images from the Models Face Matching Test (Experiment 1) and a newly devised matching task incorporating female faces (Experiment 2) and asked to decide whether they show the same person, or two different people. The photographs were either both in colour, both in grayscale, or mixed (one in grayscale and one in colour). Participants were more likely to accept a pair of images as a “match”, i.e. same person, in the mixed condition, regardless of whether the identity of the pair was the same or not. This demonstrates a clear shift in bias between “congruent” colour conditions and the mixed trials. In addition, there was a small decline in accuracy in the mixed condition, relative to when the images were presented in colour. Our study provides the first evidence that the hue of document photographs matters for face matching performance. This finding has important implications for the design and regulation of photographic ID worldwide.

scholarly journals Image Variability and Face Matching

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor Diarmuid Gogan ◽  
Jennifer L Beaudry ◽  
Julian Oldmeadow
Keyword(s):  
Matching Task ◽  
Lower Face ◽  
Face Images ◽  
Face Matching ◽  
Total Data ◽  
Data Points ◽  
Matching Performance ◽  
Image Variability ◽  
Unfamiliar Faces

This study investigates whether variability in perceived trait judgements disrupts our ability to match unfamiliar faces. In this preregistered study, 174 participants completed a face matching task where they were asked to indicate whether two face images belonged to the same person or different people (17,748 total data points). Participants completed 51 match trials consisting of images of the same person that differed substantially on one trait (either trustworthiness, dominance, or attractiveness) with minimal differences in the alternate traits. Participants also completed 51 mismatch trials which contained two photos of similar-looking individuals. We hypothesised that participants would make more errors on match trials when images differed in terms of attractiveness ratings than those that differed on trustworthiness or dominance. Contrary to expectations, images that differed in terms of attractiveness were matched most accurately, and there was no relationship between the extent of attractiveness differences and accuracy. There was some evidence that differences in perceived dominance and, to a lesser extent, trustworthiness was associated with lower face matching performance. However, these relationships were not significant when alternate traits were accounted for. The findings of our study suggest that face matching performance is largely robust against variation in trait judgements. fi

scholarly journals Unfamiliar Face Matching With Driving Licence and Passport Photographs

Perception ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin S. S. Kramer ◽  
Sophie Mohamed ◽  
Sarah C. Hardy
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Current Work ◽  
Sorting Task ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Performance Levels ◽  
Driving Licence ◽  
Face Matching ◽  
Unfamiliar Face Matching ◽  
Unfamiliar Face

Matching two different images of an unfamiliar face is difficult, although we rely on this process every day when proving our identity. Although previous work with laboratory photosets has shown that performance is error-prone, few studies have focussed on how accurately people carry out this matching task using photographs taken from official forms of identification. In Experiment 1, participants matched high-resolution, colour face photos with current UK driving licence photos of the same group of people in a sorting task. Averaging 19 mistaken pairings out of 30, our results showed that this task was both difficult and error-prone. In Experiment 2, high-resolution photographs were paired with either driving licence or passport photographs in a typical pairwise matching paradigm. We found no difference in performance levels for the two types of ID image, with both producing unacceptable levels of accuracy (around 75%–79% correct). The current work benefits from increased ecological validity and provides a clear demonstration that these forms of official identification are ineffective and alternatives should be considered.

scholarly journals Unfamiliar Face Matching With Frontal and Profile Views

Perception ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 414-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin S. S. Kramer ◽  
Michael G. Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Matching Accuracy ◽  
Face Matching ◽  
Matching Test ◽  
Unfamiliar Face Matching ◽  
Unfamiliar Face ◽  
Unfamiliar Faces

Research has systematically examined how laboratory participants and real-world practitioners decide whether two face photographs show the same person or not using frontal images. In contrast, research has not examined face matching using profile images. In Experiment 1, we ask whether matching unfamiliar faces is easier with frontal compared with profile views. Participants completed the original, frontal version of the Glasgow Face Matching Test, and also an adapted version where all face pairs were presented in profile. There was no difference in performance across the two tasks, suggesting that both views were similarly useful for face matching. Experiments 2 and 3 examined whether matching unfamiliar faces is improved when both frontal and profile views are provided. We compared face matching accuracy when both a frontal and a profile image of each face were presented, with accuracy using each view alone. Surprisingly, we found no benefit when both views were presented together in either experiment. Overall, these results suggest that either frontal or profile views provide substantially overlapping information regarding identity or participants are unable to utilise both sources of information when making decisions. Each of these conclusions has important implications for face matching research and real-world identification development.

scholarly journals Hyper-realistic Face Masks in a Live Passport-Checking Task

Perception ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-309
Author(s):  
David J. Robertson ◽  
Jet G. Sanders ◽  
Alice Towler ◽  
Robin S. S. Kramer ◽  
Josh Spowage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Border Crossing ◽  
Science Museum ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Criminal Cases ◽  
Identity Verification ◽  
Unfamiliar Face Matching ◽  
Unfamiliar Face ◽  
Close Range ◽  
Matching Performance

Hyper-realistic face masks have been used as disguises in at least one border crossing and in numerous criminal cases. Experimental tests using these masks have shown that viewers accept them as real faces under a range of conditions. Here, we tested mask detection in a live identity verification task. Fifty-four visitors at the London Science Museum viewed a mask wearer at close range (2 m) as part of a mock passport check. They then answered a series of questions designed to assess mask detection, while the masked traveller was still in view. In the identity matching task, 8% of viewers accepted the mask as matching a real photo of someone else, and 82% accepted the match between masked person and masked photo. When asked if there was any reason to detain the traveller, only 13% of viewers mentioned a mask. A further 11% picked disguise from a list of suggested reasons. Even after reading about mask-related fraud, 10% of viewers judged that the traveller was not wearing a mask. Overall, mask detection was poor and was not predicted by unfamiliar face matching performance. We conclude that hyper-realistic face masks could go undetected during live identity checks.

The Effect of Face Masks on Forensic Face Matching: An Individual Differences Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Estudillo ◽  
Peter James Hills ◽  
Wong Hoo Keat
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Mask Condition ◽  
Full View ◽  
Face Matching ◽  
Face Experiment ◽  
Unfamiliar Faces ◽  
Practical Implications

In the forensic face matching task, observers are presented with two unfamiliar faces and must determine whether they depict the same identity. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, some governmental authorities require the use of face masks in public spaces. However, face masks impair face identification by disrupting holistic processing of faces. The present study explores the effect of face masks on forensic face matching. Compared to a full-view condition, performance decreased when a face mask was superimposed on one face (Experiment 1) and both faces (Experiment 2) of a pair. Although a positive correlation between the full-view and the mask conditions was found, high proficiency in the full-view condition did not always generalize to the mask condition. Additionally, the mask generally has a more negative impact in those participants with better performance in the full-view condition. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

scholarly journals Surgical face masks impair human face matching performance for familiar and unfamiliar faces

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Carragher ◽  
Peter J. B. Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Face Recognition ◽  
Recognition System ◽  
Human Face ◽  
Face Matching ◽  
Face Recognition System ◽  
Surgical Masks ◽  
The Face ◽  
Matching Performance ◽  
Recognition Systems ◽  
Unfamiliar Faces

AbstractIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments around the world now recommend, or require, that their citizens cover the lower half of their face in public. Consequently, many people now wear surgical face masks in public. We investigated whether surgical face masks affected the performance of human observers, and a state-of-the-art face recognition system, on tasks of perceptual face matching. Participants judged whether two simultaneously presented face photographs showed the same person or two different people. We superimposed images of surgical masks over the faces, creating three different mask conditions: control (no masks), mixed (one face wearing a mask), and masked (both faces wearing masks). We found that surgical face masks have a large detrimental effect on human face matching performance, and that the degree of impairment is the same regardless of whether one or both faces in each pair are masked. Surprisingly, this impairment is similar in size for both familiar and unfamiliar faces. When matching masked faces, human observers are biased to reject unfamiliar faces as “mismatches” and to accept familiar faces as “matches”. Finally, the face recognition system showed very high classification accuracy for control and masked stimuli, even though it had not been trained to recognise masked faces. However, accuracy fell markedly when one face was masked and the other was not. Our findings demonstrate that surgical face masks impair the ability of humans, and naïve face recognition systems, to perform perceptual face matching tasks. Identification decisions for masked faces should be treated with caution.

scholarly journals Redesigning photo-ID to improve unfamiliar face matching performance.

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
David White ◽  
A. Mike Burton ◽  
Rob Jenkins ◽  
Richard I. Kemp
Keyword(s):  
Face Matching ◽  
Unfamiliar Face Matching ◽  
Unfamiliar Face ◽  
Matching Performance
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