1) The study examined whether priming the brain for global or local processing through tasks like the Navon Letters task or Hierarchical Figures task could influence facial recognition accuracy. 2) Participants viewed photos then did a priming task and viewed more photos to identify if they were in the original set. 3) Results showed priming for local processing significantly impaired facial recognition compared to control and global conditions, but global priming did not significantly enhance recognition.

1. Abstract Can Priming the Brain Influence Facial Recognition? Procedure
The current study examined if it is possible to improve or impair Informed consent and demographic survey
facial recognition accuracy by priming the brain’s lateralization.
The first hypothesis was that performing a global lateralization task Shown 10 Photos (E-Prime v2.0)
would improve facial recognition accuracy. The second hypothesis
was that performing a local lateralization task would impair facial
Kristan Russell and Erin McCreary Randomly assigned to
recognition accuracy. Lastly, it was hypothesized that the •Control
confidence of the participant would also have an influence on Dawn G. Blasko (Faculty Advisor) •Navon Letters Global
accuracy. In the study, participants first viewed a photo array, and
then were randomly assigned to complete either the Navon Letters Penn State Erie, The Behrend College •Navon Letters Local
task, or the Hierarchical Figures Task. Research has validated these •Hierarchical Figures Global
tasks as being useful to prime the brain to either a global or local
lateralization. Participants were then asked to view a set of •Hierarchical Figures Local
randomly presented photos and decide if they were present in the
original set. They also rated their confidence in their decision. The Method Design Shown 30 photos (20 foils and previous 10 shown)
over arching goal of this study was to understand the effects of •Asked to identify whether they had seen them before, and
brain lateralization shifts on the ability to recognize faces. The Participants rated their confidence in each decision
results showed that local processing significantly impaired the
Photo Array
•Photos were shown Sequentially (random order)
ability to recognize a face compared to both control and global
conditions. However, priming the brain with global lateralization • 65 participants (female = 49 , male= 16) • Recognition: YES or NO
was not found to significantly enhance recognition.
Stimuli Randomly Assigned to: •How confident in judgment (7 point Likert scale)
NL NL Control HF HF
• Demographic Questionnaire- Requested Global Local Global Local
information pertaining to each individual’s
sex, age, race, major, and past history of
experienced or witnessed violence.
View Photo
• Navon Letters (Navon, 1977) - Employed as a
means of determining working memory capacity.
A Navon Letter is a large letter made up of smaller Discussion
letters. Identification The hypothesis, that local processing orientation would
significantly reduce facial recognition accuracy, was confirmed.
• Hierarchical Figures- (Blanca, & Alarcon, 2002). - • Showed that the phenomenon is not restricted solely to
Introduction A task consisted of large squares with the left or priming by the Navon Letters task.
• Past research has shown that facial recognition can be impaired right side missing, made up of small squares with The hypothesis that global processing would significantly enhance
through left brain (or local) processing (Cutler. Penrod, & the right or left side missing. Confidence Ratings facial recognition accuracy was not confirmed.
Martens, 1987)
•Other factors must be measured and controlled.
•Few studies examine the effects of global processing on facial
•Additional research in this area must be conducted, the data
recognition, but it has been speculated that it may enhance it.
and past research are inconsistent on the robustness of the
(minimal support for this theory exists) (Macrae & Lewis, 2002)
effect.
• Processing shifts can be primed through different types of tasks. Hypothesis 1:
There was no relationship between confidence and accuracy
• Previous research has investigated the phenomenon of facial
Performing a global lateralization task will enhance recognition accuracy, t(33) = .10, p =.924
• Results did approach significance; possible need for a stronger
recognition reduction through using the Navon Letters task.
power
(Macrae & Lewis, 2002).
Hypothesis 2: •Implication: Jurors tend to place very heavy reliability on
• Research using Hierarchical Figures tasks to prime the brain’s
Performing a local lateralization task will reduce recognition accuracy, t(33) = 5.22, p < .001 witness confidence – if confidence does not influence accuracy
lateralization has been used, but not applied to facial recognition
(as found in our study), it is important that witnesses and jurors
research. (Blanca, & Alarcon, 2002).
reduce the emphasis they place on this factor.
Navon Letters Hierarchical Figures
80
F(2,59) = 6.45, p =.003
75 References
Facial Recognition Accuracy (%)
Global Blanca, M. J., & Alarcon, R. (2002). Hemispheric differences in
global and local processing with orientation classification tasks.
Control Neuropsychologia, 40, 957-963
70
Cutler, B., Penrod, S., & Martens, T. (1987). The reliability of
Local eyewitness identification. Law and Human Behavior, 11(3), 233-258
65
Macrae, C., & Lewis, H. (2002). Do i know you? processing
Current Study orientation and face recognition. Psychological Science, 13(2), 194-
196.
•The current study sought to examine the influence of brain 60
lateralization on one’s ability to recognize faces. Navon, D. (1977). Forest before trees: The precedence of global
features in visual perception. Cognitive Psychology, 9, 353–383.
Research Question 55
• Do global processing shifts enhance the ability to recognize faces?
• Do local processing shifts reduce the ability to recognize faces?
50
Acknowledgments
• Does confidence level during this process relate to recognition This research was made possible through an Undergraduate
Navon Letters Hierarchical Figures
accuracy? Student Research Grant at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.
Task Type and Priming Condition Special thanks to our research advisor Dr. Dawn Blasko.
Hypothesis 3:
The participants overall confidence would be positively correlated with actual facial recognition accuracy,
r = .24, p =.05