Nachson I
Department of Criminology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 1995 Apr;17(2):256-75. doi: 10.1080/01688639508405122.
The present paper focuses on the modular attributes of face recognition, defined in terms of domain specificity. Domain specificity is examined by looking into the innate nature of face recognition, the special effects related to the recognition of inverted faces, the specificity of electrophysiological responsivity to facial stimuli, and the specific impairment in face recognition associated with localized brain damage. Converging evidence from these sources seems to consistently show that face recognition is not qualitatively unique, as it proceeds in a manner similar to the recognition of other visuospatial objects. However, it seems to be special in that it may involve specific mechanisms dedicated to face recognition. Among infants, differential responsivity to faces and to other objects in terms of age of onset, attraction and course of development, seems to indicate the operation of a special process. Unusual inversion effects in face recognition might be due to the special expertise that humans develop for recognizing upright faces. Face-selective single unit responses in the monkey's brain implies the existence in the visual system of cells which are exclusively dedicated to the processing of facial stimuli. Finally, in prosopagnosia localized brain damage is linked to a specific inability to recognize familiar faces. Taken together, the data seem to show that some elements in the process of face recognition are domain specific, and in that sense, modular.
本文聚焦于人脸识别的模块属性，该属性是根据领域特异性来定义的。通过探究人脸识别的先天性、与倒置面孔识别相关的特殊效应、对面部刺激的电生理反应特异性以及与局部脑损伤相关的人脸识别特定损伤来考察领域特异性。来自这些方面的汇聚证据似乎一致表明，人脸识别在性质上并非独一无二，因为它的进行方式与其他视觉空间物体的识别相似。然而，它似乎很特殊，因为它可能涉及专门用于人脸识别的特定机制。在婴儿中，对面孔和其他物体在出现年龄、吸引力和发育过程方面的差异反应，似乎表明存在一个特殊过程。人脸识别中不寻常的倒置效应可能是由于人类为识别正立面孔而发展出的特殊专长。猴子大脑中对面孔有选择性的单个神经元反应意味着视觉系统中存在专门用于处理面部刺激的细胞。最后，在面孔失认症中，局部脑损伤与识别熟悉面孔的特定能力缺失有关。综合来看，数据似乎表明人脸识别过程中的某些元素是领域特异性的，从这个意义上说，是模块化的。
