What is meant by configural and holistic processing? The present project attempts to answer this question by formalizing configural and holistic processing as interactive processing of face parts. Four face images were created from one main face by varying the eye distance and nose length of the face to yield a 2x2 feature-complete factorial combination set of stimuli. Participants viewed each version of the face for 100 msecs, and then identified the face they saw. Their responses were subjected to multidimensional signal detection analysis to obtain estimates of different types of perceptual interactions defined by General Recognition Theory (Ashby & Townsend, 1986). It is shown here that perception of upright faces exhibits a number of interactions that are not present for inverted faces. The nature of these interactions are linked to concepts of holistic and configural face processing. A computational justification is forwarded for this interactivity account of face processing.

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Although previous research in event-related potentials (ERPs) has focused on the conditions under which faces are recognized, less research has focused on the process by which face representations are acquired and maintained. In Experiment I, participants were required to monitor for a target "Joe" face that was shown amongst a series of distractor "Other" faces. At the half-way point, participants were instructed to switch targets from the Joe face to a previous distractor face that is now labeled "Bob". The ERP analysis focused on the posterior N250 component known to index face familiarity and the P300 component associated with context updating and response decision. Results showed that the N250 increased in negativity to target Joe face compared to the Bob face and a designated Other face. In the second half of the experiment, a more negative N250 was produced to the now target Bob face compared to the Other face. Critical1y, the more negative N250 to the Joe face was maintained even though Joe was no longer the target. The P300 component followed a similar pattern of brain response where the Joe face elicited a significantly larger P300 amplitude than the Other and Bob face. In the Bob half of the experiment, the Bob face elicited a reliably larger P300 than the Other faces and the heightened P300 to the Joe face was sustained. In Experiment 2, we examined whether the increased N2S0 negativity and enhanced P300 to Joe was due to simple naming effects. Participants were introduced to both Joe and Bob faces and names at the beginning of the experiment. During the first half of the experiment, participants were to monitor for the Joe face and at the half-way point, they were instructed to switch targets to the Bob face. Findings show that N250 negativity significantly increased to the Joe face relative to the Bob and Other faces in the first half of the experiment and an increased N250 negativity was found for target Bob face and the non-target Joe face in the second half. An increased P300 amplitude was demonstrated to the target Joe and Bob faces in the first and second halves of the experiment, respectively. Importantly, the P300 amplitude elicited by the Joe face equaled the P300 amplitude to the Bob face even though it was no longer the target face.The findings from Experiment 1 and 2 suggest that the N250 component is not solely determined by name labeling, exposure or task-relevancy, but it is the combination of these factors that contribute to the acquisition of enduring face representations. / Graduate

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1969. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 1987. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Umeå University, Sweden, 1994. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 1987. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. D. S.)--University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 188-192).

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 38-40). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Th.--Méd.--Nancy 1, 1984. N°: 103.