Tolerance of geometric distortions in infant's face recognition

The aim of the current study is to reveal the effect of global linear transformations (shearing, horizontal stretching, and vertical stretching) on the recognition of familiar faces (e.g., a mother's face) in 6- to 7-month-old infants. In this experiment, we applied the global linear transformations to both the infants’ own mother's face and to a stranger's face, and we tested infants’ preference between these faces. We found that only 7-month-old infants maintained preference for their own mother's face during the presentation of vertical stretching, while the preference for the mother's face disappeared during the presentation of shearing or horizontal stretching. These findings suggest that 7-month-old infants might not recognize faces based on calculating the absolute distance between facial features, and that the vertical dimension of facial features might be more related to infants’ face recognition rather than the horizontal dimension.     

The homogeneity effect on figure/ground perception in infancy

We examined whether the homogeneity of the two profiles of Rubin's goblet affects figure/ground perception in infants. We modified the two profiles of Rubin's goblet in order to compare figure/ground perception under four test patterns: (1) two profiles painted with horizontal lines (horizontal-line condition), (2) two profiles painted middle gray (uni-color condition), (3) one profile painted light gray and the other dark gray (two-color condition), and (4) a goblet painted with concentric circles (concentric-circles condition). In the horizontal-line condition the homogeneity of the profile was strengthened, and in the two-color condition the homogeneity of the profile was weakened compared to the uni-color condition, which was an original Rubin's goblet. In the concentric-circles condition the homogeneity of the reversed areas of the horizontal-line were strengthened.     

Finding a face in a face-like object

Humans have the tendency to perceive a face even in a non-living object. Previous studies report that people perceive facial features and even interpret a personality in a car front. Following these findings, we investigated whether the perception of a face in a face-like object is mediated by human face processing, which involves both featural and configural processing. In our experiment, participants were presented with 30 face-like objects and were asked about the existence of facial features, the intensity of typicality/distinctiveness, and the intensity of facial expression. Using multiple regression analysis, which predicts the perception of a face in a face-like object, we found that the existence of eyes was a significant predictor of variance in perceiving a face in a face-like object.     

Sound enhances detection of visual target during infancy: a study using illusory contours

In adults, a salient tone embedded in a sequence of nonsalient tones improves detection of a synchronously and briefly presented visual target in a rapid, visually distracting sequence. This phenomenon indicates that perception from one sensory modality can be influenced by another one even when the latter modality provides no information about the judged property itself. However, no study has revealed the age-related development of this kind of cross-modal enhancement. Here we tested the effect of concurrent and unique sounds on detection of illusory contours during infancy. We used a preferential looking technique to investigate whether audio-visual enhancement of the detection of illusory contours could be observed at 5, 6, and 7 months of age. A significant enhancement, induced by sound, of the preference for illusory contours was observed only in the 7-month-olds. These results suggest that audio-visual enhancement in visual target detection emerges at 7 months of age.     

Effects of test-mask similarity on forward and backward masking of patterns by patterns

Summary Effects of test-mask similarity on the masking function were examined in two experiments. In Experiment 1, random bar patterns were used as test and mask stimuli. Bars were oriented in 135° oblique direction in test stimuli, and in 135° or 45° oblique direction in mask stimuli. The SOA was varied from 0 to 100 ms (backward masking). In Experiment 2, red and blue random dot patterns were used as both test and mask stimuli, with SOAs of –100 to 100 ms (forward and backward masking). The subject was asked to report the number of bars or dots as quickly as possible. The results of four subjects in one experiment and five in the other indicated that masking effects were generally greater when the test and mask stimuli were the same in orientation or color than when they were different. Slightly asymmetrical U-shaped functions were obtained both in the same and in different (orientation or color) conditions. A two-factor model with a similarity-related symmetrical integration process and a similarity-unrelated asymmetrical interuption process was considered.Experiment 1 was conducted by the first and third authors at Chiba University, and Experiment 2 was performed by the first and second authors at the University of Tokyo     

Effect of unpleasant loud noise on hippocampal activities during picture encoding: an fMRI study

The functional link between the amygdala and hippocampus in humans has not been well documented. We examined the effect of unpleasant loud noise on hippocampal and amygdaloid activities during picture encoding by means of fMRI, and on the correct response in humans. The noise reduced activity in the hippocampus during picture encoding, decreased the correct response and increased the activity of the amygdala. A path diagram using structural equation modeling suggested that hippocampus activity might be depressed by high amygdala activity. Therefore, noise should diminish memory by reducing hippocampal activity, which might be depressed by high amygdala activity.     

Formal reasoning in Japanese older adults: The role of metacognitive strategy,task content,and social factors

This study investigated the availability of deductive reasoning competence in late adulthood. Forty-six Japanese older (mean age =71 years) and 58 Japanese young adults (mean age =19.6 years) were assessed for formal or deductive reasoning using Overton's (1990) revision of the four-card selection task. For older adults, metacognitive strategy—operating as a procedure designed to access reasoning competence—resulted in enhanced performance levels. When the semantic content of the reasoning task involved emotional issues, however, the metacognitive strategy failed to facilitate reasoning performance. This suggests that reasoning competence is available in late adulthood but that performance is susceptible to contextual variables. Social factors were not significantly related to older adults' reasoning performance. Thus, assessment of these factors may have been based on too broad a definition to describe adequately the status of the older adults. For the young, only semantic task content was related to reasoning performance.     

Shedding light on painters' implicit knowledge: The effect of lighting on recognizing expression and facial impressions of a depicted person in portraits

We aimed to verify painters' empirical rules in painting portraits from the perspective of face perception. In particular, we examined the effects of lighting on perceiving impressions and facial expressions of a depicted person by using portrait paintings with various lighting conditions of contrast (high, low) and position (left, right). Viewers rated their impressions of the people in the portraits and those people's expressions using 7‐point scales. Impressions regarding likability or attractiveness were stable regardless of the lighting conditions, while the other impressions differed among the lighting conditions. Positive emotions were perceived more strongly in paintings with low contrast, whereas negative emotions were perceived more strongly in paintings with high contrast. Overall, these results suggest that lighting has a systematic effect on face perception even in portrait paintings. We propose that the current study provides empirical evidence of painters' implicit knowledge.     

Authoritarianism,Anger, and Hostile Attribution Bias: A Test of Affect Displacement

Past research has supported the hypothesis that the relationship between harsh childhood punishment and adult political attitudes is due to the displacement of negative emotions that arise onto punitive public policies, e.g., support for the death penalty (Milburn, Conrad, Sala, & Carberry, 1995). Cognitions associated with childhood punishment may also impact adult political attitudes, yet their effects have not yet been examined, despite research that shows that punitive childhood experiences increase the tendency to attribute hostility to others. Thus, we investigated whether the tendency to make hostile attributions about others' behavior influences a person's authoritarianism, controlling for their parents' political orientation. Respondents completed an online survey concerning their childhood punishment experiences, their parents' political orientation, their trait anger, their level of hostile attribution bias (HAB), and their authoritarianism. Multiple regression analyses and structural equation modeling (SEM) found that higher childhood punishment has a significant direct effect on higher levels of authoritarianism, even after controlling for parents' political orientation, and that trait anger and HAB appear to mediate the effects of childhood punishment experiences on authoritarianism,. These results support the process of affect displacement as an important influence on adult punitiveness and political orientation.