3 avril 2009
Guillaume Thierry présentera "Looking controversy in the face: Is there an ERP wave selective to the human face?"
- Intervenant : Guillaume Thierry
- Laboratoire : School of Psychology - Bangor University
- Date prévue : 3 avril 2009 à 10h30
- Lieu : salle D32, 1er étage, bâtiment BSHM
- Titre : Looking controversy in the face: Is there an ERP wave selective to the human face?
- Abstract : Establishing when and how the human brain differentiates between object categories is a key to understanding visual cognition. In particular, it has been shown that the human face triggers specific behavioural and neural response patterns compared to other objects. One widely acknowledged index of face processing is the N170, a negative event-related potential (ERP) peaking 170 ms after stimulus presentation. However, a potential methodological confound might be present in a number of studies reporting the N170 as face selective. Indeed, faces are often presented from a full front view while other stimuli are generally more perceptually variable across different experimental trials in terms of size, orientation, eccentricity, etc. In a recent study (Thierry et al., 2007), we showed that under specific conditions, face-selectivity in the N170 range disappears. This finding has triggered a virulent attack by ERP face experts (Bentin et al., 2007; Rossion and Jacques, 2008). I will be reviewing some of the key arguments put forward by our critics and discuss whether our study marks the onset of a genuine debate or whether I should henceforth stick with research in the field of language.
