School of Human Sciences
Institute of Lifecourse Development
University of Greenwich
London SE10 9LS
super-recognisers@greenwich.ac.uk
Twitter: @GRecognisers
Research Team
Callan Dray: MSc Psychology (Conversion)
Dr Josh P Davis: Supervisor
We would like to thank the 816 participants who volunteered to take part in Callan Dray’s experiment for his MSc Psychology (Conversion) thesis. Your contribution remains essential to our research.
During July 2020, participants were invited to attempt one of three new 50-trial face matching tests developed by the University of Greenwich. Based on pilot item analyses data, supplied by super-recogniser participants (n > 200), these face matching tests were created using stimuli selected from a range of different sources, so that each test should have been of equal overall difficulty.
We then manipulated the match (same person in each pair of images)/mismatch (different people in each pair) frequency, so that each participant viewed 10%, 50% or 90% mismatched facial pairs. In doing so, we were able to explore the impact of low prevalence effects on face matching performance. Previous research has demonstrated that when target items appear less frequently, the rate of low prevalence item detection also reduces (Wolfe, Horowitz, & Kenner, 2005). If you would like to develop a deeper theoretical understanding of this topic, please see research by Papesh and Goldinger (2014).
In an attempt to identify methods which improve face matching accuracy, this experiment also delivered feature-based instructions that directed participants to focus on either internal (eyebrows, nose, mouth) or external (face shape, ears, chin/jawline) facial features. This method was adopted from use in current professional training courses (see Towler et al., 2019 for discussions of these issues).
Before conducting the tests, all participants were asked to enter their personal anonymised code. If you have your anonymised code, you may compare your results against those within the complete data set (you will find your scores below). Figure 1 shows the distribution of scores out of 50 across all trials in this research.
Do not be disheartened if your results significantly differ from previous scores, as conditions within this test were designed to be more challenging than previous experiments. Please note that some codes did not match those on our database as we could not match up all data.
We are currently writing up the results of this experiment in conjunction with a follow-up experiment conducted in September. We hope to submit for publication in a peer-reviewed journal this year, or early next year.
We will load a pre-print of this paper on the Open Science Framework (OSF) website and announce this on the www.superrecognisers.com website and on Twitter @GRecognisers.
Thanks again for your continued support,
Callan Dray and Josh Davis
Figure 1
Frequency of overall scores within all versions of the face matching tests (n = 816).
References
Papesh, M. H., & Goldinger, S. D. (2014). Infrequent identity mismatches are frequently undetected. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 76(5), 1335-1349.
Towler, A., Kemp, R. I., Burton, A. M., Dunn, J. D., Wayne, T., Moreton, R., & White, D. (2019). Do professional facial image comparison training courses work? PloS one, 14(2), e0211037.
Wolfe, J. M., Horowitz, T. S., & Kenner, N. M. (2005). Rare items often missed in visual searches. Nature, 435(7041), 439-440.
Overall Scores (out of 50)
A00000253 41
A00000696 36
A00000812 40
A00000936 46
A00001015 47
A00001346 29
A00001717 31
A00001824 50
A00001856 31
A00002396 42
A00002935 35
A00003422 50
A00003456 37
A00003737 47
A00003775 29
A00004251 38
A00004477 40
A00004481 41
A00004576 27
A00004585 36
A00004790 50
A00004791 43
A00004818 42
A00004924 31
A00005098 30
A00005555 48
A00005652 29
A00005797 41
A00006843 50
A00007015 23
A00007026 35
A00007315 27
A00007447 42
A00007504 32
A00008370 37
A00009089 43
A00009366 38
A00010442 46
A00010466 42
A00010828 39
A00010851 44
A00011094 24
A00011097 34
A00011225 30
A00011304 50
A00011547 35
A00011568 40
A00012918 50
A00013410 50
A00013811 46
A00014205 36
A00014300 31
A00014323 40
A00014866 44
A00014883 41
A00015332 29
A00015450 27
A00015551 45
A00016036 48
A00016249 43
A00016757 28
A00017523 34
A00017613 44
A00018876 32
A00020274 39
A00020957 33
A00022393 36
A00023344 34
A00024404 26
A00024937 37
A00025576 38
A00026958 34
A00027927 30
A00028000 36
A00028291 30
A00028528 43
A00029225 43
A00029292 40
A00030040 43
A00030748 42
A00031990 34
A00032562 40
A00032914 49
A00034110 33
A00034599 21
A00035318 33
A00035328 43
A00035495 42
A00035872 32
A00035913 24
A00036066 31
A00036071 48
A00036502 39
A00036585 40
A00036694 41
A00037008 50
A00037764 48
A00037919 31
A00038128 38
A00038496 46
A00038514 38
A00039242 40
A00039629 41
A00039655 14
A00039973 34
A00040027 19
A00040286 50
A00040385 46
A00040775 30
A00041208 46
A00041240 48
A00041300 27
A00041795 41
A00041890 43
A00044411 48
A00044963 36
A00045301 44
A00045694 48
A00045728 45
A00045909 42
A00046254 33
A00047807 38
A00047829 27
A00048085 44
A00048345 48
A00048509 39
A00048854 28
A00049468 37
A00050118 34
A00050916 45
A00051411 38
A00051444 29
A00051980 39
A00055341 30
A00057453 24
A00057821 45
A00058001 23
A00059300 44
A00060176 22
A00060590 30
A00060942 47
A00061071 44
A00061087 35
A00061389 37
A00061593 30
A00062112 35
A00062375 42
A00062502 49
A00063271 46
A00064065 45
A00065020 44
A00066133 31
A00066201 42
A00067205 32
A00067927 40
A00067957 41
A00068155 24
A00068508 28
A00069853 50
A00069874 48
A00070346 45
A00070722 36
A00071737 34
A00071788 44
A00071986 40
A00072009 48
A00072018 29
A00073926 40
A00074255 26
A00074453 47
A00078384 48
A00081978 49
A00083851 45
A00083889 31
A00084075 43
A00085073 26
A00087720 39
A00088920 29
A00090522 41
A00094097 34
A00094314 26
A00096949 37
A00097403 47
A00097758 38
A00098607 44
A00099039 46
A00099449 43
A00100577 43
A00100883 37
A00100967 48
A00101091 43
A00101815 36
A00102010 35
A00105330 35
A00112696 34
A00112710 45
A00112738 30
A00112767 47
A00112827 35
A00112962 46
A00112973 49
A00113014 44
A00113042 47
A00113049 41
A00113073 49
A00113081 41
A00113130 17
A00113184 46
A00113189 40
A00113190 32
A00113192 33
A00113195 34
A00113240 44
A00113305 49
A00113317 37
A00113387 44
A00113393 29
A00113456 48
A00113501 32
A00113585 30
A00113628 37
A00113667 43
A00113686 48
A00113706 38
A00113744 36
A00113786 43
A00113844 44
A00113982 39
A00114109 46
A00114119 34
A00114235 36
A00114301 30
A00114304 29
A00114409 43
A00114815 34
A00114905 23
A00115008 40
A00115013 40
A00115057 36
A00115068 38
A00115100 40
A00115238 43
A00115327 26
A00115477 25
A00121116 40
A00121145 44
A00121801 43
A00121853 47
A00123863 47
A00123960 33
A00124220 27
A00129190 46
A00129284 45
A00130132 33
A00132051 45
A00132092 43
A00132288 36
A00132670 50
A00132768 48
A00133293 29
A00133307 49
A00133412 45
A00133518 41
A00133650 47
A00133674 44
A00133816 48
A00133931 42
A00134098 46
A00136680 20
A00136930 46
A00137780 35
A00138436 45
A00138866 45
A00138895 35
A00138910 35
A00139022 43
A00140380 46
A00140639 42
A00140797 48
A00141105 38
A00141161 28
A00141447 49
A00141458 28
A00141974 46
A00142110 39
A00142597 39
A00142629 48
A00142653 48
A00142737 45
A00142938 25
A00143068 28
A00143101 29
A00143171 34
A00143405 36
A00143599 35
A00143611 40
A00143690 24
A00143889 40
A00143921 41
A00144166 24
A00144540 32
A00144549 26
A00144576 28
A00144623 45
A00144670 44
A00144703 40
A00144704 35
A00144713 39
A00144717 26
A00144807 47
A00144921 38
A00144956 33
A00145028 44
A00145224 29
A00145234 41
A00145250 26
A00145313 34
A00145397 19
A00145427 25
A00145740 30
A00145772 29
A00145846 29
A00145951 48
A00146005 42
A00146057 26
A00146122 47
A00146192 37
A00146296 30
A00146321 40
A00146446 37
A00146470 43
A00146490 42
A00146496 46
A00146521 42
A00146573 29
A00146579 35
A00146693 44
A00146798 43
A00146948 42
A00146969 38
A00147036 25
A00147038 48
A00147150 22
A00147274 50
A00147522 33
A00147712 21
A00147714 38
A00147872 30
A00147967 36
A00147992 23
A00148075 47
A00148150 26
A00151974 38
A00155303 36
A00157760 39
A00158365 41
A00158526 49
A00158679 33
A00159465 39
A00159650 46
A00159729 41
A00160157 45
A00160339 40
A00160361 42
A00160384 40
A00160400 25
A00162997 36
A00164536 33
A00170725 40
A00170956 30
A00172374 32
A00172572 30
A00177983 42
A00178145 47
A00178964 25
A00180482 23
A00180609 35
A00182757 38
A00204110 33
A00205888 45
A00208159 36
A00212557 30
A00212847 42
A00218911 36
A00219071 47
A00221188 38
A00221472 43
A00221564 41
A00221612 34
A00221709 43
A00221781 33
A00221875 45
A00222027 33
A00222102 35
A00222217 42
A00222599 41
A00222661 43
A00222766 26
A00222780 35
A00222787 29
A00222838 35
A00222867 27
A00222995 27
A00223062 37
A00223135 46
A00223147 29
A00223153 46
A00223258 48
A00223399 39
A00223450 45
A00223501 48
A00223531 47
A00223723 42
A00223817 34
A00223981 29
A00224020 29
A00224105 36
A00224562 45
A00224624 43
A00224762 46
A00226470 35
A00226619 39
A00226785 44
A00227201 35
A00227764 25
A00228776 49
A00228914 38
A00229020 45
A00229058 36
A00229388 46
A00230587 35
A00230762 34
A00231229 50
A00231520 21
A00231839 36
A00232677 47
A00235073 40
A00235559 45
A00236362 43
A00237118 36
A00237535 50
A00237627 42
A00238317 45
A00240421 38
A00240469 37
A00240656 32
A00240751 33
A00240809 37
A00241172 42
A00241232 44
A00241277 19
A00241431 37
A00241480 14
A00241508 46
A00241546 36
A00252029 43
A00259933 43
A00260117 28
A00261038 46
A00276171 50
A00276365 26
A00277370 46
A00277642 31
A00277793 31
A00278444 46
A00278950 34
A00280466 44
A00281376 33
A00281430 50
A00281634 41
A00281636 30
A00281647 20
A00282333 50
A00282955 38
A00285039 46
A00285749 50
A00286151 42
A00286939 48
A00286964 42
A00287187 28
A00287369 32
A00287394 35
A00287398 46
A00288951 46
A00290307 27
A00291363 26
A00291658 40
A00291836 42
A00291955 31
A00291956 38
A00292600 39
A00292791 24
A00292810 42
A00293256 49
A00293525 46
A00294426 36
A00294980 48
A00295226 19
A00295327 45
A00295718 49
A00295787 47
A00295916 28
A00296220 37
A00296252 49
A00296730 37
A00296923 39
A00297181 43
A00299155 33
A00299627 48
A00302859 35
A00303644 44
A00303816 46
A00304338 50
A00304869 24
A00305028 39
A00309290 28
A00309296 43
A00309479 48
A00309542 46
A00309562 43
A00309573 22
A00309599 42
A00309640 40
A00309652 46
A00309670 44
A00309826 48
A00309909 47
A00309938 45
A00310017 50
A00310054 50
A00310095 40
A00310110 39
A00310129 45
A00310216 49
A00310241 36
A00310259 40
A00310282 37
A00310286 41
A00310305 29
A00310520 46
A00310568 40
A00310573 36
A00310586 49
A00310674 44
A00310712 37
A00310760 44
A00310781 50
A00310845 40
A00310877 27
A00310958 36
A00310969 46
A00311026 41
A00311050 37
A00311054 32
A00311101 42
A00311141 37
A00311278 43
A00311390 41
A00311394 48
A00311399 47
A00311437 46
A00311485 47
A00311952 43
A00312303 38
A00312315 41
A00312837 33
A00312956 40
A00313028 44
A00313029 29
A00313047 29
A00313057 38
A00313070 39
A00313144 24
A00313210 28
A00313251 35
A00313261 39
A00313301 32
A00313311 40
A00313347 34
A00313378 31
A00313417 25
A00313467 36
A00313473 39
A00313508 39
A00313510 41
A00313526 39
A00313550 50
A00313559 40
A00313560 40
A00313588 44
A00313609 48
A00313625 47
A00313655 46
A00313674 47
A00313682 46
A00313689 47
A00313799 41
A00313813 33
A00314745 45
A00314752 39
A00314756 34
A00314793 32
A00314814 22
A00314822 38
A00314837 36
A00314847 41
A00314904 40
A00314991 33
A00314999 22
A00315071 30
A00315114 33
A00315169 48
A00315250 49
A00315287 45
A00315297 31
A00315335 49
A00315336 45
A00315348 22
A00315367 47
A00315443 29
A00315493 42
A00315521 26
A00315536 30
A00315542 33
A00315548 40
A00315558 44
A00315602 34
A00315654 44
A00315655 25
A00315669 50
A00315697 29
A00315709 48
A00315732 48
A00315764 41
A00315777 41
A00315928 46
A00315934 48
A00316378 36
A00316390 34
A00316396 36
A00316406 43
A00316439 33
A00316482 44
A00316484 46
A00316485 46
A00316532 37
A00316544 28
A00316553 30
A00316556 30
A00316591 47
A00316607 34
A00316620 32
A00316649 39
A00316654 25
A00316676 33
A00316724 39
A00316725 23
A00316785 34
A00316790 47
A00316836 32
A00316867 38
A00316919 44
A00316927 31
A00316942 23
A00317086 47
A00317095 43
A00317136 31
A00317150 22
A00317151 47
A00317383 42
A00402039 24
B00000003 46
B00000060 32
B00000080 40
B00000333 21
B00000391 25
B00000502 48
B00000703 38
B00000741 34
B00001224 33
B00002337 33
B00002570 36
B00002591 27
B00002607 35
B00002735 40
B00002739 48
B00002760 48
B00002817 47
B00002819 46
B00002823 42
B00002826 42
B00002843 46
B00002859 46
B00002867 44
B00002892 48
B00002900 48
B00002915 47
B00002928 47
B00002966 34
B00002970 47
B00002971 32
B00003007 49
B00003012 41
B00003050 44
B00003075 43
B00003081 49
B00003091 36
B00003098 46
B00003102 44
B00003110 45
B00003115 41
B00003127 42
B00003140 42
B00003149 47
B00003161 42
B00003163 46
B00003166 43
B00003212 47
B00003217 46
B00003226 42
B00003228 50
B00003255 40
B00003313 47
B00003321 41
B00003339 44
B00003362 47
B00003420 46
B00003446 48
B00003459 46
B00006457 36
B00006546 33
B00006553 34
B00006620 33
B00006631 41
B00006645 45
B00006763 29
B00006781 44
B00006820 32
B00006907 38
B00006925 34
B00006986 37
B00006988 38
B00007071 34
B00007138 28
B00007162 36
B00007237 34
B00007246 34
B00007269 35
B00007288 32
B00007327 39
B00007379 28
B00007438 29
B00007479 39
B00007554 37
B00007564 36
B00007760 31
B00007799 25
B00007800 36
B00007822 35
B00007836 43
B00007879 42
B00007978 42
B00008023 31
B00008061 32
B00008069 38
B00008126 28
B00008130 44
B00008179 38
B00008189 23
B00008204 37
B00008228 39
B00008231 41
B00008240 28
B00008258 40
B00008288 33
B00008299 31
B00008326 24
B00008437 34
B00008465 25
B00008476 23
B00010493 38
B00010543 38
B00010586 29
T01572683 32
T12391627 43
T12526413 36
T13206264 32
T19749843 47
T24093718 40
T24668503 40
T25067229 30
T26605568 50
T27880255 34
T28952730 34
T34834040 23
T35726625 50
T43100961 44
T45977531 46
T56325024 45
T65575573 25
T70714870 37
T71529534 48
T77212419 37
T81396369 32
T81466364 43
T82941974 43
T83544291 42
T84186409 34
T86042154 34
T89433824 50
T89571868 24
T89678306 50
T91407105 26
T91731651 43
T92365137 38
T97408761 43
