The resolution of face perception varies systematically across the visual field

Abstract

AbstractVisual abilities tend to vary predictably across the visual field – for simple low-level stimuli, visibility is better along the horizontal vs. vertical meridian and in the lower vs. upper visual field. In contrast, face-recognition abilities have been reported to show either distinct or entirely idiosyncratic visual-field variations, suggesting a dissociation between the spatial properties of low- and higher-level vision. To more clearly assess this link, we extended methods used in low-level vision to develop an acuity test for face perception, measuring the smallest size necessary to judge facial gender in peripheral vision. In 3 experiments, we demonstrate a clear advantage for gender acuity on the horizontal vs. vertical meridian and a smaller-but-consistent lower-vs. upper-field advantage. This pattern matches that of low-level vision, demonstrating that location systematically influences the resolution of face perception. Our findings support a hierarchical, feedforward process whereby face-processing systems inherit the spatial selectivity of early vision.Statement of RelevanceExtensive evidence suggests that face perception relies on mechanisms that are qualitatively different from more general object recognition (e.g. with disproportionate disruptions from image inversion). This dissociation raises the question of how higher-level specialisation for faces develops within the visual system, particularly in relation to the selectivity of lower-level vision. Here, we sought to bridge a methodological gap between low- and high-level visual processing by examining the resolution of face perception across the visual field. Using a novel face acuity test, we demonstrate that the recognition of facial gender varies systematically across the visual field, with the same pattern as low-level vision. This influence of location on face perception provides a clear link between low- and high-level vision, and suggests that the spatial selectivity of higher levels of the visual system is likely to vary in the same way as earlier processing stages.