The basis of F.A.CE project.lon was the competition for an future Academy within the spirit of the former Bauhaus Dessau. The competition provided the opportunity to introduce my thoughts for an educational establishment in art, architecture and design. The Essence of F.A.CE project.Ion was to extend the myth of the former Bauhaus utopians. Several artists were active either together or in succession and made valueable contributions to the Bauhaus through their own work. Their names and faces are form together the multifaced image that refers silently as a memory to a former Bauhaus idea. The Identity of the Bauhaus seemed to live as much in the hidden cracks on the facades of a celebrated architecture as in the portraits of the former Bauhaus faces. Through juxtaposing the faces with the Bauhaus Idea I created an dialogue that moved toward a 'corporate identity - Mies v. d. Rohe' and found its ownF.A.CE - F.uture A.rts CE.ntre .Finally, F.A.CE project.Ion led toward a specific spirit ofplastic elements embodying facial aswell as spatial forces with an important contribution to a visual re-education. / Department of Architecture

A series of studies is described here which explore the functional organisation of face- and object-processing neurones in the adult vervet monkey brain. This fundamental issue in high-level vision is addressed by the use of a novel molecular mapping technique that was developed for this purpose. / In the first study, the temporal dynamics of c-fos and zif268 expression were delineated in detail in the rat visual cortex. Knowing the precise temporal parameters of up-regulation (after onset of sensory stimulation) and down-regulation (after offset of sensory stimulation) of these genes was integral to optimising the temporal aspects of the stimuli to be used for subsequent mapping experiments. This study provided the critical information for devising stimuli with corresponding temporal parameters to those of c-fos or zif268 so that one could take advantage of the disparity between the expression of their mRNA and protein products in order to visualise activated neurones. / In the second study, the newly developed molecular mapping technique was validated in the rat auditory, visual and multisensory systems. First, bimodal audiovisual stimuli were designed using the data obtained from the first study. Then, through the combined histological detection of the mRNA and protein products of zif268, discrete populations of neurones responsive to either component of the bimodal stimulus were visualised. It was also observed that a third population of neurones was found that responded to the stimulation through both sensory modalities. The combined results from these two studies set the stage for addressing the issue of the organisation of face- and object-selective neurones of the inferior temporal cortex in the vervet monkey brain. / In the third study, the functional organisation of face- and object-selective neurones was examined using the molecular mapping technique. Based on the data gathered from the first two studies, suitable stimuli containing two distinct object classes (conspecific faces and non-face familiar objects) were designed with appropriate temporal parameters. / Finally, the last study provided an opportunity to address the issue of hemispheric asymmetry of function in the context of face processing in the non-human primate brain. Results support the notion that there may indeed be phylogenetic explanations for the hemispheric asymmetry observed in the human brain.

Faces provide cues for judgments regarding the emotional state of individuals. Using signal-detection methodology and a standardized stimulus set, the overall aim of the present dissertation was to investigate the detection of emotional facial expressions (i.e., angry and happy faces) with neutral expressions as the nontarget stimuli. Study I showed a happy-superiority effect and a bias towards reporting happiness in female faces. As work progressed, questions arose regarding whether the emotional stimuli were equal with regard to perceived strength of emotion, and whether the neutral faces were perceived as neutral. To further investigate the effect of stimulus quality on the obtained findings, Study II was designed such that the facial stimuli were rated on scales of happy-sad, angry-friendly, and emotionality. Results showed that ‘neutral’ facial expressions were not rated as neutral, and that there was a greater perceived distance between happy and neutral faces than between angry and neutral faces. These results were used to adjust the detectability measures to compensate for the varying distances of the angry and happy stimuli from the neutral stimuli in the emotional space. The happy-superiority effect was weakened, while an angry-female disadvantage remained. However, as these results were based upon different participant groups for detection and emotional rating, Study III was designed to investigate whether the results from Studies I and II could be replicated in a design where the same participants performed both tasks. Again, the results showed the non-neutrality of ‘neutral’ expressions and that happiness was more easily detected than anger, as shown in general emotion as well as specific emotion detection. Taken together, the overall results of the present dissertation demonstrate a happy-superiority effect that was greater for female than male faces, that angry-female faces were the most difficult to detect, and a bias to report female faces as happy. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: In press. Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc. Psychology)--University of Waikato, 2007. / Title from PDF cover (viewed April 8, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 70-76)

Thesis (M.Comp.Sc.)--University of Wollongong, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 88-98.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Computer Science, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Ma thèse porte sur une dimension fondamentale de la structure des groupes sociaux : la hiérarchie. Chez l'être humain, les hiérarchies sociales régissent en profondeur les interactions. Pour naviguer avec succès dans son environnement, il doit être en mesure de repérer précisément les positions hiérarchiques des autres membres de son groupe. Ce travail de thèse vise à caractériser certains mécanismes neuronaux, comportementaux et physiologiques impliqués dans l'analyse d'un indice hiérarchique. Pour préciser la nature du traitement de la hiérarchie, j'ai exploré son influence sur différentes étapes de la perception des visages. Je me suis tout d'abord intéressée au décours temporel du traitement neuronal des visages dans un contexte hiérarchique. Deux études menées en électroencéphalographie m'ont permis d'identifier les potentiels neuronaux et les composants oscillatoires évoqués par la perception de visages associés soit, à un rang hiérarchique établi à l'issue d'une compétition, soit à un statut social induit par la profession. Une étude réalisée ensuite en oculométrie avait pour but de capturer l'influence de la hiérarchie sur des mécanismes fins du contrôle de l'attention visuelle. J'ai étudié à la fois l'exploration visuelle de classements hiérarchiques incluant le participant, et celle de visages associés à des rangs hiérarchiques différents. Enfin, j'ai tenté de déterminer si un signal ou une situation d'asymétrie hiérarchique véhicule une valence émotionnelle et motivationnelle non neutre susceptible d'induire des variations de certains paramètres physiologiques, comme le rythme cardiaque ou la réponse électrodermale / Hierarchy is a key organizational feature of social groups. In order to successfully navigate their social environment, humans must precisely read the hierarchical position of other during social interaction. This present thesis intends to characterize the neural correlates as well as the early physiological and behavioral mechanisms involved in the processing of social rank. The influence of hierarchy was mainly investigated in the context of face perception. To begin, my focus was on the time course of neuronal processing of faces embedded in a hierarchical context. Using eletroencephalography in two studies, it has been possible to identify evoked neuronal potentials and oscillatory components in response to faces varying in hierarchical rank, established through competition or social status induced by profession. The next study used eye-tracking methodology to explore the influence of hierarchy on the subtle mechanisms of visual attention control. I aimed at characterizing the visual scanning pattern of hierarchical rankings (during a competition) and of faces associated with different hierarchical ranks. Finally, I tried to determine if a hierarchical signal or a social asymmetrical situation conveyed an emotional/motivational valence. During face perception and a minimal social interaction, I examined if this particular dimension of hierarchy generated variations of physiological activity, such as heart rate and skin conductance response

A busca por métodos de leitura biométrica tem crescido muito, alimentada pelas necessidades governamentais, militares e comerciais. Pesquisas indicam que o mercado de reconhecimento facial vai movimentar bilhões de dólares nos próximos anos. Dessa forma, encontrar métodos que atendem situações específicas impulsiona novos avanços nessa área. Cada aplicação de reconhecimento de faces precisa de uma solução particular. Há casos que o tempo de resposta é o fator mais importante; outros exigem que a face seja classificada mesmo que de forma parcial. Em todas essas situações, a acurácia e a robustez talvez sejam os atributos mais importantes. Entretanto, na maioria das vezes, tais características se comportam como grandezas inversas: aumentado o grau de confiança dos resultados o desempenho do método será afetado. Por isso, desenvolver uma metodologia que equilibra tais fatores é essencial para a construção de soluções aceitáveis. Este trabalho apresenta um novo algoritmo de reconhecimento facial, baseado em descritores locais e em redes complexas. O método é capaz de concentrar a informação, antes distribuída pelos diversos pontos dos descritores, em um único vetor de características, tornando a classificação mais rápida e eficiente. Além disso, o outro foco da metodologia é reduzir etapas de pré-processamento, evitando que processos sejam executados de forma desnecessária. Os experimentos foram realizados com bancos de faces bem conhecidos na literatura, revelando taxas de acurácia de até 98,5%. A técnica também apresentou bons resultados mesmo quando havia ruídos nas amostras, muitas vezes oriundos de objetos presentes na composição do cenário. Para uma análise complementar, algoritmos clássicos de reconhecimento facial foram submetidos ao mesmo conjunto de dados, gerando assim resultados comparativos entre as metodologias. / The search for biometric scanning methods has grown a lot due to government, military and commercial needs. Researches indicate the face recognition market will move billions of dollars in next years. Thus, finding methods to specific situations drives new advances in this area. Each application face recognition requires a particular solution. There are cases the response time is the most important factor; others require that face must be classified even if partially. In all these situations, accuracy and robustness may be the most important attributes. However, in most cases, these features behave as inverse greatness: increasing the confidence level of the results the method performance will be affected. Therefore, create the method which balances these factors is essential for construction of acceptable solutions. This paper presents a new face recognition algorithm based on local descriptors and complex networks. The method is able to concentrate the information before distributed by various point descriptors, in a unique feature vector. It makes the classification step faster and more efficient. Furthermore, another focus of the method is reduce pre-processing steps, avoiding unnecessary processes. The experiments were conducted with faces datasets well known in the literature, revealing accuracy rates of up to 98.5%. The technique also showed good results when there was noise in the samples, often derived from objects present in the composition of the scene. For additional analysis, classical facial recognition algorithms were subjected to the same data set, generating comparative results between both methodologies.

A busca por métodos de leitura biométrica tem crescido muito, alimentada pelas necessidades governamentais, militares e comerciais. Pesquisas indicam que o mercado de reconhecimento facial vai movimentar bilhões de dólares nos próximos anos. Dessa forma, encontrar métodos que atendem situações específicas impulsiona novos avanços nessa área. Cada aplicação de reconhecimento de faces precisa de uma solução particular. Há casos que o tempo de resposta é o fator mais importante; outros exigem que a face seja classificada mesmo que de forma parcial. Em todas essas situações, a acurácia e a robustez talvez sejam os atributos mais importantes. Entretanto, na maioria das vezes, tais características se comportam como grandezas inversas: aumentado o grau de confiança dos resultados o desempenho do método será afetado. Por isso, desenvolver uma metodologia que equilibra tais fatores é essencial para a construção de soluções aceitáveis. Este trabalho apresenta um novo algoritmo de reconhecimento facial, baseado em descritores locais e em redes complexas. O método é capaz de concentrar a informação, antes distribuída pelos diversos pontos dos descritores, em um único vetor de características, tornando a classificação mais rápida e eficiente. Além disso, o outro foco da metodologia é reduzir etapas de pré-processamento, evitando que processos sejam executados de forma desnecessária. Os experimentos foram realizados com bancos de faces bem conhecidos na literatura, revelando taxas de acurácia de até 98,5%. A técnica também apresentou bons resultados mesmo quando havia ruídos nas amostras, muitas vezes oriundos de objetos presentes na composição do cenário. Para uma análise complementar, algoritmos clássicos de reconhecimento facial foram submetidos ao mesmo conjunto de dados, gerando assim resultados comparativos entre as metodologias. / The search for biometric scanning methods has grown a lot due to government, military and commercial needs. Researches indicate the face recognition market will move billions of dollars in next years. Thus, finding methods to specific situations drives new advances in this area. Each application face recognition requires a particular solution. There are cases the response time is the most important factor; others require that face must be classified even if partially. In all these situations, accuracy and robustness may be the most important attributes. However, in most cases, these features behave as inverse greatness: increasing the confidence level of the results the method performance will be affected. Therefore, create the method which balances these factors is essential for construction of acceptable solutions. This paper presents a new face recognition algorithm based on local descriptors and complex networks. The method is able to concentrate the information before distributed by various point descriptors, in a unique feature vector. It makes the classification step faster and more efficient. Furthermore, another focus of the method is reduce pre-processing steps, avoiding unnecessary processes. The experiments were conducted with faces datasets well known in the literature, revealing accuracy rates of up to 98.5%. The technique also showed good results when there was noise in the samples, often derived from objects present in the composition of the scene. For additional analysis, classical facial recognition algorithms were subjected to the same data set, generating comparative results between both methodologies.

Human social status has long been of interest to evolutionary and social psychologists. The question of who gets to control resources and be a leader has garnered a lot of attention from these and other fields, and this thesis examines evidence for there being two different mechanisms of achieving high status, and their correlates. The mechanisms are 1) Dominance: being aggressive, manipulative and forcing others to follow you, and 2) Prestige: possessing qualities which make others freely follow you. Chapter 1 is an introductory chapter in which I explain selection pressures, group formation, and the need for social hierarchies; I then describe the two proposed methods of attaining social status and how facial characteristics can give clues as to an individual’s social status. In Chapter 2, my first experimental chapter, I examined how faces created to appear either high in dominance or high in prestige were judged with respect to those traits as well as personality characteristics. Taking this further, in Chapter 3, I looked at how natural variation in real faces would reflect differences in other- and self-perceived ratings of dominance and prestige. Chapter 4 served to examine whether, given a set of words related to social status, I would find differences in what words were placed into dominant or prestige categories. Findings within these chapters are consistent with dominance and prestige being separable methods of attaining high status, from differences in facial appearance (Chapter 2 and 3), to personality characteristics (Chapter 2), to word usage (Chapter 4). Once I had established that these were two distinct routes to achieving high status, I chose to focus on dominance in Chapter 5 and explored the conceptual relationships between dominance and facial expressions. I found that manipulating perceptions of dominance affected how intense expressions of anger, sadness, and fear were perceived (Chapter 5). As there has been a paucity of research in the area of women’s social status, in Chapter 6, I went on to explore what effects cosmetics use in women would have on their perceived social status. I found differences in how men and women perceived women wearing cosmetics, which again points to a distinction between dominance and prestige. My thesis then presents a broad view of the two different mechanisms for attaining high status. Using new methods not otherwise used in exploring dominance and prestige I was able to explore correlates and indicators, as well as perceptions of both strategies. These findings will allow us to determine who might be capable of attaining social status, which of the two methods they might use, as well as what implicit associations we hold about each. They will also open doors for future research into the two strategies, and even help interpret previous research, as many previous studies simply relate to high status and do not distinguish between dominance and prestige.