Facial Recognition

Through our class discussion of what makes a face attractive it came to my attention that there is not only studies illustrating that there are universal characteristic of an attractive face but there is also is a science behind facial recognition.  Scientists have discovered how we recognize faces by collecting face images and manipulating the images to look more masculine/feminine and changing the dimensions of the face. Subjects then try to recognize a familiar face from a group of pictures that appear to be the same but vary in their dimension and expression. Scientists believe that because some faces look alike we note the significant facial features exactly to avoid errors in recognizing a particular face. Also, studies have demonstrated that we don't recognize faces that we've only seen once or a few times as easily as faces we encounter more often. A good example of this would be when an individual attempts to recognize an unfamiliar face in a line-up. Even if the individual had seen the face close up, there is still difficulty in recognizing the face. Because recognizing an unfamiliar face can be problematic, law enforcement can now use facial recognition. Similar to a fingerprint, facial recognition allows people to be identified. Law enforcement also believes that by using facial recognition  the efficiency and accuracy is increased. Due to the difficulty in recognizing unfamiliar faces and the ability our eyes have to deceive (as well as how our memory works), misidentification is the single greatest factor in wrongful convictions. Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus has done numerous studies that reveal the fallibility of eye witness identification and face recognition. If interested check out these sites
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dna/interviews/loftus.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Accuracy-of-Eye-Witness-Testimony-and-Its-Flaws&id=328261

-Sarah Rohler