Visual adaptation of the perception of “life”: Animacy is a basic perceptual dimension of faces
One critical component of understanding another’s mind is the perception of “life” in a face. However, little is known about the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying this perception of animacy. Here, using a visual adaptation paradigm, we ask whether face animacy is (1) a basic dimension of fa...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer US
2016
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105256 |
| _version_ | 1826201589307670528 |
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| author | Koldewyn, Kami Hanus, Patricia Balas, Benjamin |
| author2 | McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT |
| author_facet | McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT Koldewyn, Kami Hanus, Patricia Balas, Benjamin |
| author_sort | Koldewyn, Kami |
| collection | MIT |
| description | One critical component of understanding another’s mind is the perception of “life” in a face. However, little is known about the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying this perception of animacy. Here, using a visual adaptation paradigm, we ask whether face animacy is (1) a basic dimension of face perception and (2) supported by a common neural mechanism across distinct face categories defined by age and species. Observers rated the perceived animacy of adult human faces before and after adaptation to (1) adult faces, (2) child faces, and (3) dog faces. When testing the perception of animacy in human faces, we found significant adaptation to both adult and child faces, but not dog faces. We did, however, find significant adaptation when morphed dog images and dog adaptors were used. Thus, animacy perception in faces appears to be a basic dimension of face perception that is species specific but not constrained by age categories. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:53:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/105256 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:53:47Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Springer US |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1052562022-09-27T22:41:07Z Visual adaptation of the perception of “life”: Animacy is a basic perceptual dimension of faces Koldewyn, Kami Hanus, Patricia Balas, Benjamin McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT Koldewyn, Kami Hanus, Patricia One critical component of understanding another’s mind is the perception of “life” in a face. However, little is known about the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying this perception of animacy. Here, using a visual adaptation paradigm, we ask whether face animacy is (1) a basic dimension of face perception and (2) supported by a common neural mechanism across distinct face categories defined by age and species. Observers rated the perceived animacy of adult human faces before and after adaptation to (1) adult faces, (2) child faces, and (3) dog faces. When testing the perception of animacy in human faces, we found significant adaptation to both adult and child faces, but not dog faces. We did, however, find significant adaptation when morphed dog images and dog adaptors were used. Thus, animacy perception in faces appears to be a basic dimension of face perception that is species specific but not constrained by age categories. Simons Foundation 2016-11-07T23:46:06Z 2016-11-07T23:46:06Z 2013-12 2016-08-18T15:46:41Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1069-9384 1531-5320 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105256 Koldewyn, Kami, Patricia Hanus, and Benjamin Balas. “Visual Adaptation of the Perception of ‘life’: Animacy Is a Basic Perceptual Dimension of Faces.” Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 21.4 (2014): 969–975. en http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13423-013-0562-5 Psychonomic Bulletin & Review Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. Psychonomic Society, Inc. application/pdf Springer US Springer US |
| spellingShingle | Koldewyn, Kami Hanus, Patricia Balas, Benjamin Visual adaptation of the perception of “life”: Animacy is a basic perceptual dimension of faces |
| title | Visual adaptation of the perception of “life”: Animacy is a basic perceptual dimension of faces |
| title_full | Visual adaptation of the perception of “life”: Animacy is a basic perceptual dimension of faces |
| title_fullStr | Visual adaptation of the perception of “life”: Animacy is a basic perceptual dimension of faces |
| title_full_unstemmed | Visual adaptation of the perception of “life”: Animacy is a basic perceptual dimension of faces |
| title_short | Visual adaptation of the perception of “life”: Animacy is a basic perceptual dimension of faces |
| title_sort | visual adaptation of the perception of life animacy is a basic perceptual dimension of faces |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105256 |
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