How to accurately spot 'super-recognizers' of faces

What real-world policing tasks make the identification of "super recognisers" valuable?

These tasks include matching or identifying faces captured in CCTV footage, as well as spotting wanted perpetrators in a crowd.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What is a major limitation of existing real-world and laboratory screening protocols for identifying super recognisers?

They tend to rely on performance from a single attempt at a face memory test rather than using multiple tests or testing over time.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI

How does the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT+) differ from the standard CFMT?

It maintains the identical format of the original test but includes 30 additional, more difficult trials to avoid ceiling effects.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

Why are case-by-case statistics preferred over group-based statistics when identifying super recognisers?

They allow researchers to evaluate the consistency of performance in each individual across different tests, helping identify potential heterogeneity.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What dissociations observed in developmental prosopagnosia suggest that super recognition might also be heterogeneous?

Some individuals have memory-only impairments, while others also have impairments in the perception of facial identity without memory demands.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

Why is the Cambridge Face Perception Test (CFPT) unsuitable for detecting super recognisers?

Large control group variability prevents top-end individual scores from reaching statistical significance, and its reliability remains unexamined.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

Why is there a lack of evidence for superior face perception skills presenting without superior face memory skills?

Existing inclusion protocols require superior performance on a test of face memory first, meaning the converse has not been investigated.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What are two potential reasons why some super recognisers show inconsistent performance across different tests of face processing?

They may achieve superior scores on a single test due to chance, or differences in test paradigms bring about inconsistencies in performance.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What is a limitation of the image stimuli used in the CFMT+ compared to real-world face recognition?

The images were collected under tightly controlled conditions on the same day, failing to capture naturalistic image variability over time and settings.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

Why is the "Before They Were Famous" test difficult to use as an objective screening tool?

It is limited by uncontrolled differences in participants' lifetime exposure to the specific celebrities.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What is the general scientific consensus regarding the reliability of self-report questionnaires for identifying face recognition skills?

Studies show only mild-to-moderate effect sizes, and there is significant debate and evidence to the contrary.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

Why were non-Caucasian participants excluded from the experimental group?

Own-race biases in face recognition would require recruiting independently matched, race-specific control groups.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

Why did the researchers test half of the control participants online and the other half in a laboratory?

To check whether different testing environments (online vs. laboratory) led to noticeable differences in performance.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

How did the Models Memory Test (MMT) incorporate real-world natural face variability?

It used naturalistic, color images of target faces taken on different days and in very different scenarios, using photos from modeling agency websites.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

Why does the MMT include target-absent trials, unlike the standard CFMT+?

To ensure participants are tested on both correct identifications and correct rejections, which is crucial for real-world tasks like policing.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What are the five categories of possible responses in the Models Memory Test (MMT)?

They are hits, misses, and misidentifications (for target-present trials), and correct rejections and false positives (for target-absent trials).

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

How was the Pairs Matching Test (PMT) designed to evaluate face matching skills?

Participants simultaneously view pairs of colour faces and must decide if they are the same person or different people, with no time limit.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What does the Crowds matching test require participants to do?

Decide whether a composite target face is present within a simultaneously displayed image of a crowd of 25–40 people.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

Which facial feature area is the focus of construction in the EvoFIT system?

The internal features of the face, which are the most important area for familiar-face recognition.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI

Did the performance of control participants differ significantly based on whether they took the tests online or in the laboratory?

No significant differences were detected between the online and laboratory control groups on any test.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What percentage of the self-referred experimental group scored in the superior range on the CFMT+?

44.50% (89 out of 200 participants).

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

How did high-performers on the Models Memory Test (MMT) compare to controls in terms of sensitivity and response bias?

They showed significantly higher sensitivity (d') but no significant difference in response bias (c).

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What error pattern on the MMT distinguished superior performers from the control group?

Superior performers made proportionately fewer misidentification errors than controls.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

How many participants outperformed the control cut-off on the Crowds matching test?

Only one participant out of the entire sample.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What explanation do the authors offer for why the Crowds test was so difficult for participants to pass?

Creating a facial composite from memory results in inaccuracies, making composite faces much harder to recognize or match than real photos.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What interesting relationship was found between performance on the PMT and the Crowds test?

There was a reliable but negative correlation for hits and correct rejections between the two tasks.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What did the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on the entire dataset reveal about the structure of face-processing abilities?

It supported a three-factor structure: target-present performance, target-absent performance, and Crowds test performance.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

Was there a significant correlation between the target-present and target-absent performance indices?

No, there was no significant correlation between the two indices in either the experimental or control groups.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

How many participants surpassed the control cut-off on both the target-present and target-absent indices?

Only five individuals exceeded the control cut-off value on both indices.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

Did the study find evidence of individuals who excel at face matching but not face memory?

Yes, 18 participants performed in the superior range on the PMT but not on either face memory test, with 3 showing a statistically significant dissociation.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What theoretical models of face processing are supported by the finding that excellent face-memorizers also have very good face-matching skills?

Hierarchical models of face-processing, which assume perceptual analysis must be successfully completed before identity recognition can occur.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

How many of the 89 participants identified as SRs by the CFMT+ alone maintained consistently superior performance across related face-processing tests?

Only 37 participants (less than half) showed consistently superior performance across related tests.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What are the practical real-world implications of the dissociation between target-present and target-absent performance?

Policing screening must test both abilities separately, because target-absent judgements are vital to prevent miscarriages of justice.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

What percentage of the self-referred sample failed to score in the superior range on even a single test?

27.5% (55 out of 200 participants) failed to meet the superior range on any of the four tests.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified

Why should organizations like the police screen all available personnel for face recognition skills rather than relying only on self-referred volunteers?

Subjective self-reports cannot reliably replace objective testing, and random sampling might identify skilled individuals who lack self-belief in their abilities.

Source: Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition · DOI · quote verified