Face Perception

Face Perception is a Cognitive Science class taught by Joanna Morris.

Course Description
The human face is one of the most complex visual stimuli that we encounter. It is dynamic, 3-dimensional, and contains both changing and invariant features. This course will examine the following questions in the field of face perception: What are the early visual mechanisms that appear to be specific to the processing of faces. Is there a processing network triggered solely or primarily by facial information? Is it a unique module or, does it contain sub- processors, one dealing primarily with face- components and the other with the holistic perception of the face? What are the visual components that are necessary (and sufficient) to trigger the face perception module? What are its functional characteristics? Is it modulated by context (conceptual and/or perceptual)? Can it be activated without attention? What are the neural mechanisms involved in social- communication based on faces such as emotional expression? Prerequisite: Prior coursework in Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science or Philosophy