Understanding the multiframe caricature advantage for recognizing facial composites

Citation

Frowd CD, Skelton FC, Atherton CJ, Pitchford M, Bruce V, Atkins R, Gannon C, Ross DA, Young F, Nelson L, Hepton G, McIntyre AH & Hancock PJB (2012) Understanding the multiframe caricature advantage for recognizing facial composites. Visual Cognition, 20 (10), pp. 1215-1241. https://doi.org/10.1080/13506285.2012.743936

Abstract
Eyewitnesses often construct a "composite" face of a person they saw commit a crime, a picture that police use to identify suspects. We described a technique (Frowd, Bruce, Ross, McIntyre, & Hancock, 2007) based on facial caricature to facilitate recognition of these images: Correct naming substantially improves when composites are seen with progressive positive caricature, where distinctive information is enhanced, and then with progressive negative caricature, the opposite. Over the course of four experiments, the underpinnings of this mechanism were explored. Positive-caricature levels were found to be largely responsible for improving naming of composites, with some benefit from negative-caricature levels. Also, different frame-presentation orders (forward, reverse, random, repeated) facilitated equivalent naming benefit relative to static composites. Overall, the data indicate that composites are usually constructed as negative caricatures.

Keywords
Caricature; Face space; Facial composite; Memory; Witness; Human face recognition (Computer science); Optical pattern recognition; Caricatures and cartoons

Journal
Visual Cognition: Volume 20, Issue 10

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Professor Peter Hancock

Professor, Psychology