Unraveling mechanisms for expert object recognition: bridging brain activity and behavior.

Full Abstract

Behavioral sensitivity to object transformations and the response to novel objects (Greebles) in the fusiform face area (FFA) was measured several times during expertise training. Sensitivity to 3 transformations increased with expertise:
(a) configural changes in which halves of objects were misaligned, (b) configural changes in which some of the object parts were moved, and (c) the substitution of an object part with a part from a different object. The authors found that holistic-configural effects can arise from object representations that are differentiated in terms of features or parts. Moreover, a holistic-inclusive effect was correlated with changes in the right FFA. Face recognition may not be unique in its reliance on holistic processing, measured in terms of both behavior and brain activation.

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Author information

Author/s: Gauthier, Isabel (I); Tarr, Michael J (MJ);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA. isabel.gauthier(-atsign-)vanderbilt.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance (J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Apr; vol 28 (issue 2) : pp 431-46

Dates: Created 2002/05/09; Completed 2003/01/24; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 11999864, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Brain - physiology
Brain Mapping
Depth Perception - physiology
Discrimination (Psychology) - physiology
Discrimination Learning - physiology
Face
Form Perception - physiology
Humans

Models, Neurological
Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology
Perceptual Closure - physiology
Practice (Psychology)
Reaction Time - physiology
Social Perception
Space Perception - physiology
Temporal Lobe - physiology

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