Face Processing and Neuroscience

This assignment delves into the fascinating field of face processing and its underlying neurological mechanisms. It examines the early stages of face perception development, explores the role of different brain hemispheres in recognizing faces, and investigates how emotional cues influence facial recognition. The analysis draws upon a range of research papers to provide a comprehensive understanding of this complex cognitive process.

Running head: RESEARCH REPORT
RESEARCH REPORT
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

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1.
Research review question: Is there a hemispheric preference for facial recognition?
Introduction
Face recognition involves complex cognitive process. Neuro-imaging studies of brain
reveals certain portions of the brain that are responsible for the face perception and how right
hemisphere and the left hemisphere of the brain performs different kinds of information
processing (Bruyer, 2014). During the evolutionary process, primates that possessed a cortical
area and modified processing for face perception were adopted and selected by natural selection
(Nelson, 2001). This report aims to undertake a literature review of the above mentioned
research to validate the hypothesis that “there is a hemispheric preference for facial recognition.”
A thematic analysis has been done based on the literature review and the findings followed by a
set of recommendations.
Aim
To find out that there is a hemispheric preference for facial recognition
Literature review
The basic facet of face perception is distinguishing the presence of a face that requires the
differentiating of the characteristics that it has go in common with other faces (Hoehl &
Peykarjou, 2012).
A stated by Bruyer, (2014) the temporal lobe of the brain is partly responsible for the recognition
of faces. Particular features of faces stimulate the neurons of the frontal lobe. Some people who
suffer damage in the temporal lobe lose the capability to recognize faces. According to the left

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brain - right brain dominant theory, the right side of the brain is responsible for doing creative
and expressive tasks such as recognizing faces (Nijboer & Jellema, 2012). In psychology the left
brain and the right brain theory mainly depends on the lateralization of the brain functions
(Hoehl & Peykarjou, 2012).A number of lines of evidences show greater association of the right
hemisphere for processing the emotionality stimulus. According to de Heering & Rossion,
(2015), persons differ in their cognitive style in a process that makes the prime use of the
processing capacities of one hemisphere. Hemispheric preferences have been assessed by a test
on paper and pencil (Merckelbach et al., 1997). The test clearly differentiated subjects preferring
right hemisphere style such as think in pictures from the subjects preferring the left hemisphere
cognitive style such as thinking with words (Nelson, 2001). According to the Schonene and
Johnson models of face recognition, newborn brain in child contains neural tissues that
predispose it towards the face (Heering & Rossion, 2015). Right hemisphere is mainly biased for
the processing off the low spatial frequencies. According to the Johnson's model there is an
inbuilt mechanism that biases the infants to attend the face like stimuli. Furthermore the right
hemisphere grows before the left hemisphere (Gainotti, 2012). As the infant matures it develops
more neural specialization and extends beyond face recognition and more complex functions
(Thompson & Mueller, 1984). One of the limitations of this theory is that it cannot explain why
the right hemisphere is superior to the left in processing the low frequency information.
According to Gainotti (2012) face recognition has been found to be qualitatively dissimilar from
rest of the abilities of pattern recognition. In the current studies, comparable prototypes of
orientation sensitive involvement of the right hemisphere are found to be responsible for the face
recognition. The schema formation capacity of the right hemisphere is responsible for the upright
recognition of the faces (Thompson & Mueller, 1984). The author has also found evidences that

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involvement if the orientation sensitive right hemisphere in right handed adults have been found
to be linked with face recognition. Gainotti, (2012) have supported that fact that face stimuli may
have processed differently by the individuals having left vs. right hemisphere arousal asymmetry.
Methodology
Paper related to the involvement of hemispheres in facial recognition has been selected
by searching it through a wide range of databases. Key words like “left- right brain theory”,
“facial recognition by the brain”, "face processing", “holistic processing", "temporal lobe" had
been used to search the peer reviewed journals.
Data analysis
Data are then analyzed by the themes taken from the papers. A deductive thematic
analysis of the data has been done which facilitates the critical analysis of the already established
data regarding the involvement of the brain hemisphere in the facial recognition. It is evident
from the data that the dextral with featured arousal symmetry in favor of the right hemisphere
shows visual field symmetries for faces and the dextral with arousal symmetry in support of the
right hemisphere do not exhibit asymmetries in the visual field for faces (Thompson & Mueller,
1984). A lot of evidences suggest that on exposure to faces, the tissues present in the
inferotemporal cortex become specialized for face recognition. Now, why these tissues have
been beleaguered to this role is still not clear which leaves behind a scope for further research.

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Source: (Vaismoradi, Turunen & Bondas, 2013).
Conclusion
The extensive search through varieties of literatures provides us with the evidence that
the right hemisphere of brain is accountable for accomplishing the more creative approaches
such as face recognition. As per the Schonene and Johnson models of face recognition, the right
hemisphere of the brain is accountable for the processing of the low frequency information like
facial recognition. The deductive analysis of the literature review supports the fact that the right
hemisphere of the brain is associated with the face recognition process.

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2. Describe the spatial and temporal summation as they apply to information processing in
the Central Nervous System.
Summation consists of both spatial and temporal summation. It is the process that establishes
that an action potential will be stimulated by the collaborative effects of inhibitory and excitatory
signals, from repeated inputs (temporal summation) and from a multiple simultaneous inputs
(Spatial summation) (Kuang et al., 2012). Temporal summation occurs when the pre-synaptic
action potential occurs rapidly and successively. The time frame of the succession depends on
the passive property of the membrane. Spatial summation is the collaborative effect caused by
many EPSPs, that that has been formed at different synapses at the same postsynaptic neuron at
the same time. The neurotransmitters binds to the receptors that is responsible for the opening
and the closing of the ion channels in the post synaptic cell generating post synaptic potentials
(PSPs). These potentials modify the chances of the action potential generating in the post
synaptic neuron. The post synaptic potentials are excitatory if the chance of occurring of the
action potential in more and inhibitory if the chance of occurrence of the action potential is less
(Piccoto et al., 2012). Spatial summation occurs when many neurons together release
acetylcholine neurotransmitters foe exceeding the threshold frequency of the post synaptic
neuron. For example three neurons may individually release the neurotransmitters that are not
sufficient to exceed the threshold but combined release can easily exceed the threshold
generating an action potential. Neurotransmitters releases many times over a certain period of
time by a single neuron can exceed the threshold value, generating a high action potential. As the
depolarization reaches the axon hillock, the voltage gated ion channels would reach the threshold

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to fire the action potential. The opening of the ion gated channels allows the Na+ ions to get
inside the post synaptic cell. These action potentials, travelling down the motor neurons causes
the muscles to contract.
3. What is phantom pain? What method can be used to treat it, sensation, the soma
sensory, and system movement?
Phantom pain can be described as the type of pain that is coming from the part of the body that
has already been amputed (Flor, Diers & Andoh, 2013). Previously the doctor's believed that this
phenomena is related to psychological problem but resent researches have revealed that they are
real sensations that originates from the central nervous system.
Medications and non invasive therapies such as acupuncture and transcutanous electrical nerve
stimulation (TENS) can be used to reduce phantom pain (Mulvi et al., 2013). Most people who
have got their limb amputed limb often have stabbing, shooting, throbbing, boring or burning
sensations in the part that is actually not present.
It is believed that the pain is caused by the changes in the periphery that modifies information
received by the brain and the spinal cord, causing central reorganization and alterations that
develops the phantom pain (Flor, Diers & Andoh, 2013). Ectopic discharges from the afferent
nerves at the amputation sites and from any neuromas can be associated with phantom pain.
Cortical reorganization has been found to be associated with phantom pain. The somatosensory
cortex area that is corresponding to the missing part may appear to get sensory information from

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other areas of the body synapses present in the adjacent areas of the somatosensory cortex (Flor,
Diers & Andoh, 2013).
Is the psychokinetic movement of pendulum pronounced as exercise?
Psychokinetic movement of exercise refers to the movement of heavier object like the bob of a
pendulum with the help of mind power. It requires regular exercises to allow the personal energy
to align with the cells of the pendulum and cause the movement of the pendulum. It is the
visualization energy of the mind that facilitates the process (Hansen & Lieberman, 2013).
What is the Ideomotor effect and how could it account for facilitated communication?
Ideomotor effect is the voluntary muscle movement in response to an idea without the person
being aware of it. Ideomotor effect has been used in hypnosis as a way of non verbal
communication. Cardinal & Falvey, (2014) has argued that facilitated communication can be
used to improve communication among the persons with disorders.

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References
Bruyer, R. (Ed.). (2014). The neuropsychology of face perception and facial expression.
Psychology Press. https://books.google.co.in/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=CuJHAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=+hemispheric+preferences+on
+facial+recogniton&ots=wyzJwGW2wr&sig=-snxgIc-t5eziGhIxOc-
F4LkHOg#v=onepage&q=hemispheric%20preferences%20on%20facial
%20recogniton&f=false
Cardinal, D. N., & Falvey, M. A. (2014). The maturing of facilitated communication: A means
toward independent communication.
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1540796914555581
de Heering, A., & Rossion, B. (2015). Rapid categorization of natural face images in the infant
right hemisphere. Elife, 4, e06564.
Flor, H., Diers, M., & Andoh, J. (2013). The neural basis of phantom limb pain. Trends in
cognitive sciences, 17(7), 307-308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2013.04.007Get rights
and content
Gainotti, G. (2012). Unconscious processing of emotions and the right
hemisphere. Neuropsychologia, 50(2), 205-218.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.12.005
Hansen, J. N., & Lieberman, J. A. (2013). Use of a torsion pendulum balance to detect and
characterize what may be a human bioenergy field. doi:10.13016/M28G67

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Hoehl, S., & Peykarjou, S. (2012). The early development of face processing—What makes
faces special?. Neuroscience bulletin, 28(6), 765-788.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12264-012-1280-0
Kuang, X., Poletti, M., Victor, J. D., & Rucci, M. (2012). Temporal encoding of spatial
information during active visual fixation. Current Biology, 22(6), 510-514.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.01.050
Merckelbach, H., Muris, P., Horselenberg, R., & de Jong, P. (1997). EEG correlates of a paper‐
and‐pencil test measuring hemisphericity. Journal of clinical psychology, 53(7), 739-744.
Mulvey, M. R., Radford, H. E., Fawkner, H. J., Hirst, L., Neumann, V., & Johnson, M. I. (2013).
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for phantom pain and stump pain in adult
amputees. Pain Practice, 13(4), 289-296. DOI: 10.1111/j.1533-2500.2012.00593.x
Nelson, C. A. (2001). The development and neural bases of face recognition. Infant and child
development, 10(1‐2), 3-18. DOI: 10.1002/icd.239
Nijboer, T. C., & Jellema, T. (2012). Unequal impairment in the recognition of positive and
negative emotions after right hemisphere lesions: a left hemisphere bias for happy
faces. Journal of neuropsychology, 6(1), 79-93. DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-6653.2011.02007.x
Picciotto, M. R., Higley, M. J., & Mineur, Y. S. (2012). Acetylcholine as a neuromodulator:
cholinergic signaling shapes nervous system function and behavior. Neuron, 76(1), 116-
129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2012.08.036

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Thompson, W. B., & Mueller, J. H. (1984). Face memory and hemispheric preference:
Emotionality and extraversion. Brain and cognition, 3(3), 239-248.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-2626(84)90019-8
Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., & Bondas, T. (2013). Content analysis and thematic analysis:
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