[Face-research-list] Paper and thesis on orientation and face perception

I am very pleased to announce the publication of the following paper in Vision Research: Chen Zhao, Peggy Seriès, Peter J. B. Hancock, and James A. Bednar. Similar neural adaptation mechanisms underlying face gender and tilt aftereffects. Vision Research, 51(18):2021-2030, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2011.07.014 This paper may be of interest to both computational and psychophysical researchers, because it shows how computational models developed for low-level vision (oriented lines) can help explain higher visual function (face gender perception). Specifically, we found that models based on the primary visual cortex successfully predicted previously unknown and important aspects of face gender perception. These results support the idea that higher vision uses similar mechanisms as early vision, and are in conflict with prevailing theories of face perception that rely on norm-based encoding. Additional details and related models are available in Roger's recently completed PhD: http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/jbednar/papers/zhao.phd11.pdf We are very interested in hearing feedback about this work, particularly from those working on norm-based theories of higher visual perception. Jim Dr. James A. Bednar Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation University of Edinburgh, UK http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/jbednar -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.