The Process of Recognizing Faces - Essay Example

Recognizing Faces Introduction: It has been obtained as a common phenomenon to recognize human beings through their faces. Thisprocess has been prevalent over the years and in the present times, computational methods have also been developed that make use of this recognition phenomenon. These are automated processes useful in different purposes. There are several techniques that have been discovered and studied in association with the faces recognition concept. It has become a technology of the current times and thus several mathematical representations and matching processes. Although the automation processes regarding faces recognition has been new and developing over the last few years, gradually with the concerns of newer technologies and processes, this method has been found to have been modified and improved (Face Recognition, 2006, p.1). The present study focuses on the processes of face recognition, the roles of concepts and categories in face recognition, identification, and classification, the role of encoding and retrieval processes, and any possible errors associated with the processes. Processes Associated with Face Recognition, Identification, and Classification: The different processes involved in face recognition, identification and classification include emotional reaction, categorization, discovery, comparison, recognition and identification, and recalling. As the emotional recognition is concerned, it focuses on the emotional feeling aroused in a person when he or she recognizes a face. Such emotions might involve feelings of joy, anger, hatred, strangeness or any other feeling that the person might possess. Next occurs is the process of categorization that involves distinguishing the character, gender, social status or mental condition of the person who has been recognized by the person who has recognized. In the stage of discovery, a person is either able or unable to realize who the person is by recognizing his or her face. That is to say, the eyes, nose, lips, and other features of the face would be recognized by the person (Rakover & Cahlon, 2001, p.24). After the process of discovery, a comparison occurs in order for an understanding whether the face that has been recognized is the same as the person had earlier known thus focusing on the degree of similarity in the recognized faces. Once these stages are over, the recognition gets fulfilled and the identification of the person takes place. Here the person is capable of determining other details about the recognized person. The last process involves recalling the face the next time the same person is encountered (Rakover & Cahlon, 2001, p.24). All these processes together complete the face recognition process either manually or in automated technologies. Roles of Concepts and Categories in Face Recognition, Identification, and Classification: Concepts and categories are highly significant in the process of face recognition that involves detailed understanding of the identification and classification and realizing the true faces when encountered. The concepts are essential for an understanding of the process that enables the recognition process. As in the previous section, the different associated processes have been studied. It can be understood that each of these steps are essential for knowledge and understanding to be able to use them while recognizing faces. Even in automated cases, these concepts are required. This can be reflected through the Principal Components Analysis or PCA technique that was derived by Kirby and Sirivich in 1988. Based on these concepts supporting the recognition process, they developed the automated technique that could mathematically represent and match the faces being useful in different purposes (Face Recognition, 2006, p.2). The significance of categorization arises in the legitimacy of the different steps involved in the process of face recognition. Since each of the steps has a major contribution to the entire process as a whole and each task is associated with the study of the faces having a particular focus of identification, thus categorizing those steps and thus reach the goal of recognition. It helps in deciding the relevance of the different steps in the study of different faces. Depending on the categorization and classification of the tasks, the tasks may include matching of one face with another, choosing amongst alternatives in order to reach to a conclusive recognition of a face, search for a particular face, or even recognize a single face from among several faces (Rakover & Cahlon, 2001, p.24). Thus, concepts and categorization can be realized to have significant roles in the process of face recognition, identification and classification. Role of Encoding and Retrieval Processes: Several studies have been conducted on the involvement of a person’s brain in the process of face recognition. The neuroimaging of the brain has determined that the role of encoding and retrieval processes is to a great extent performed by the dorsolateral section of the human brain. This is significant to learn since this is associated with the memory processes of a human body. A human’s memory process works on both the encoding and retrieval of data. It is the dorsolateral portion of the brain that has significant effects on the long term memory processes. Different scientists have studied and come to conclusions stating that the prefrontal regions of the brain “reflects monitoring and reflective processes necessarily involved in both working memory and encoding and retrieval of long-term memory information” (Dere, Easton & Nadel, 2008, p.321). Thus the patterns on which the processes get activated might present different degrees in which the processes of monitoring occur in the long term memory incidents. The primary role of the dorsolateral region has been determined in the endeavor that it considers during the process of memory tasks as associated with recognition of faces. It helps in the organization of the required material influencing the encoding and retrieval of information. It is this region that connects the different stimuli associated with the recognition and identification process and helps in the learning and memory processes of an individual. This stimulus also needs to be categorized in order to correctly influence the encoding and retrieval process and thus achieve the long term memory processes successfully (Dere, Easton & Nadel, 2008, p.321). Errors in Association with the Faces Recognition Process: Two significant errors associated with the face recognition process are (i) failure in recognition, and (ii) false recognition (Coltheart, 2000, p.87). In the first case as can be understood from the statement, the error reflects on the failure of an individual in recognizing the face of another person. That is in this case, the person fails to perform all the steps that are required in the process fulfillment. Probably he or she is unable to identify who the person and neither associate with any other details related to the person. Also, he or she might be unable to discover the features of the face and thus unable to compare the face with any of his or her known face. In the other case of an error in the process, the individual might be able to identify or recognize the face. However, the face that he or she recognizes does not match with the actual face that he or she encounters. In other worlds, a false recognition occurs. In such a case, all the steps of the face recognition process might have occurred, yet there have been mistakes in the entire process thus leading to false or wrong recognition of the face. It can be understood that this error is much more severe in comparison to the previous error. If the automated technologies are considered, the failure of recognition might not prove to be harmful. However if false recognition occurs, that might cause severe damages to many important processes where face recognition is of extreme use. Conclusion: The above study has been focused on the roles and processes of faces recognition and the different concepts and categorization that support the process. It can be realized from the study that the process has significance of its own and depending on the needs and the circumstances, the different steps are useful to be properly followed in order to recognize a face and identify it successfully. In regard to this, the role of encoding and retrieval as well as the errors are needed to be considered such that in cases of the uses of technology, these can effectively deliver a process of face recognition. References 1) Coltheart, M. (2000). Pathologies of belief, New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell 2) Dere, E., Easton, A. & L. Nadel (2008). Handbook of Episodic Memory, Netherlands: Elsevier 3) “Face Recognition” (2006), biometrics, Retrieved on February 25, 2012 from: http://www.biometrics.gov/Documents/facerec.pdf 4) Rakover, S.S. & B. Cahlon (2001). Face recognition: cognitive and computational processes, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company Read More