Abstract
We wished to demonstrate that recognition memory for pictures depends at least in part on the perceiver’s construction of a coherent organized perception, rather than only on some independently ascertained stimulus variables. To do this, we used the very high contrast drawings of faces developed by Mooney. Each of these appears as what initially looks like a random assemblage of black and white elements. But is it possible for the perceiver to organize the components into a structure-a structure in which a face is seen. These pictures are useful in this context because of their organizational ambiguity-something happens in the perceiver, not in the stimulus itself. Adult Ss were initially shown half of the pictures, which they inspected one at a time, and were asked for each if they saw a face or not. For recognition testing, they were then shown all of the pictures, again one at a time, and asked to indicate for each one whether it was new or old and if they saw a face or not. Recognition testing was given either immediately after the inspection series or delayed 3 days. A third group of Ss was tested with the pictures upside down. Recognition in all cases was significantly better for an old picture if the S saw a face in it during inspection and recognition testing. Further, a new picture was more likely to be called “new” if it was seen as a face during recognition. These results were also found after a 3-day retention delay. These, plus subsidiary analyses, were taken as strong support for the intended demonstration that organizational properties of perceptual memory are important determinants of the adequacy of that memory.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Goldstein, A. G., & Chance, J. E. Visual recognition memory for complex configurations. Perception & Psychophysics, 1971, 9, 237–241.
Goldstein, A. G., & Chance, J. E. Some factors in picture recognition memory. Journal of General Psychology, 1973, in press.
Haber, R. N. Perceptual memory for pictures-do we use words, images, or both? Paper presented at the XXth International Congress of Psychology, Tokyo, August 1972 (Abstract guide, P. 412).
Haber, R. N., & Hershenson, M. The psychology of visual perception. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1973.
Hochberg, J. E., & Galper, R. E. Recognition of faces: I. An exploratory study. Psychonomic Science, 1967, 9, 619–620.
Mooney, C. M. Age in the development of closure in children. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 1957, 11, 219–226.
Nickerson, R. S. Short-term memory for complex meaningful visual configurations: A demonstration of capacity. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 1965, 19, 155–160.
Shepard, R. N. Recognition memory for words, sentences and pictures. Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior, 1967, 6, 156–163.
Standing, L. G., Conezio, G., & Haber, R. N. Perception and memory for pictures: Single trial learning of 2,500 visual stimuli. Psychonomic Science, 1970, 19, 73–74.
Swets, J. A. Signal detection and recognition by human observers. New York: Wiley, 1964.
Wiseman, S. & Neisser, U. Perceptual organization as a determinant of visual recognition memory. Paper presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Convention, Boston, April 1972. Submitted to American Journal of Psychology, 1973.
Yin, R. K. Looking at upside-down faces. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1969, 81, 141–145.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported in part by an Undergraduate Research Participation Award from the National Science Foundation to the first author, and by research grants from the USPHS (MH 10753), the Office of Education (OEG-0-72-0671), and the U.S. Army Human Engineering Laboratories (DAAD-05-71-C-0407) to the second author. Some of these results were presented at the XXth International Congress of Psychology at Tokyo in 1972 by the second author (Haber, 1972). We wish to thank Dr. Mooney for his kind permission to use his picture.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Freedman, J., Haber, R.N. One reason why we rarely forget a face. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 3, 107–109 (1974). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333409
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333409