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Abstract:
Primates developed the ability to recognize and individuate
their conspecifics by the face. Despite numerous electrophysiological
studies in monkeys [13], little is known about
the face-processing strategies that monkeys employ. In
contrast, face perception in humans has been the subject
of many studies [46] providing evidence for specific face
processing that evolves with perceptual expertise [7]. Importantly,
humans process faces holistically, here defined as
the processing of faces as wholes, rather than as collections
of independent features (part-based processing) [8]. The
question remains to what extent humans and monkeys share
these face-processing mechanisms. By using the same
experimental design and stimuli for both monkey and human
behavioral experiments, we show that face processing is
influenced by the species affiliation of the observed face
stimulus (human versus macaque face). Furthermore, stimulus
manipulations that selectively reduced holistic and
part-based information systematically altered eye-scanning
patterns for human and macaque observers similarly. These
results demonstrate the similar nature of face perception in
humans and monkeys and pin down effects of expert faceprocessing
versus novice face-processing strategies. These
findings therefore directly contribute to one of the central
discussions in the behavioral and neurosciences about
how faces are perceived in primates.
