Toward a comprehensive test battery for face cognition: Assessment of the tasks
Date
2008
Authors
Herzmann, G.
Danthiir, V.
Schacht, A.
Sommer, W.
Wilhelm, O.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Behavior Research Methods, 2008; 40(3):840-857
Statement of Responsibility
Grit Herzmann, Vanessa Danthiir, Annekathrin Schacht, Werner Sommer and Oliver Wilhem.
Conference Name
Abstract
Despite the importance of face recognition in everyday life and frequent complaints about its failure, there is no comprehensive test battery for this ability. As a first step in constructing such a battery, we present 18 tasks aimed at measuring face perception, face learning, face recognition, and the recognition of facially expressed emotions. A sample of 153 healthy young adults completed all tasks. In general, reaction time measures showed high estimates of internal consistency; tasks focused on performance accuracy yielded reliabilities that were somewhat lower, yet high enough to support their use in a battery of face cognition measures. Some of the tasks allowed computation of established experimental effects in a within-subjects design, such as the part-whole effect. Most of these experimental effects were confirmed in our large sample, and valuable effect size estimates were obtained. However, in many cases these difference measures showed poor estimates of internal consistency.