Face Processing - Essay Example

Face processing can be a very difficult thing to do, especially for older people.  According to Gazzaniga (2004), “It was discovered that neurogenesis occurs in brain areas that meditate song learning” (pp. 127). 

We can learn new things through songs.  Would song help older people learn face recognition?  It is possible.  But, one must ask, is there anything special about faces in a category that would be identifiable? 

There are three characteristics that must be taken into consideration:  biological and evolutionary; neuropsychological and cognitive; and functional neuroimaging.

The biological and evolutionary aspects of face processing go back to our earliest ancestors.  In ancient times, people (especially women) had to have good face recognition abilities, because if they didn’t, they would not know if the person coming towards them would be a friend or foe. 

Without the ability to process faces, our ancestors’ ability to recognize danger would have been less.  They needed the ability to see danger before it was coming, or else run the risk of having their tribes infiltrated by strangers from other tribes who meant them harm.

Interestingly enough, this was built into our evolutionary biology as humans.  Technically, women were given a more keen ability to read faces since they are the keepers of the tribe.

Without women having the ability to recognize faces, they would not be able to fulfill their duties as a member of the tribe and also as a caretaker of the family.  This is why face recognition and face processing would have been important.

 The important idea in face recognition is that one has to have a good memory and a sharp eye.  These are the keystones of evolutionary biology.

The other thing that has to do with face recognition ability is neuropsychological ability as well as cognitive capacity.  Obviously, the structure of one’s brain and its ability to function plays a large role in whether or not someone will be able to correctly identify faces.

Thirdly, functional neuroimaging can see parts of the brain that react fast.  In other words, it is entirely possible to figure out which parts of the brain respond when seeing a particular image.

This would help scientists know what part of the brain is stimulated when a certain image is presented in front of the patient.  This would help a great deal in determining how people identify faces. 

Basically, face recognition and face processing are very dependent upon one’s ability to figure out whose face is whose.  This is particularly important in evolving societies that are still not industrially advanced.

Women in particular need to be very careful about whom they let into the tribe.  Thus it is important for women especially to have good face recognition techniques at all times.

The needs of the community are what dictate face recognition.  Additionally, evolutionary biology plays a large role in itself.

Neuropsychological and cognitive elements are included in the necessity to identify faces properly.  People need to know who their family members are, as well as how to identify potential threats in a community.

Neuroimaging helps scientists determine what parts of the brain are activated when one is recognizing faces.  This is important, as one will see, because of the different kinds of information necessary to figure out face recognition patterns.

Evolutionary biology, neuropsychology, and cognitive elements, as well as neuroimaging, are all touchstone elements of face recognition that will stay with us for a long time to come.