Specified functions of the first two fixations in face recognition: Sampling the general-to-specific facial information

• Published in: iScience 2024-09, Vol.27 (9), p.110686, Article 110686
• Main Authors: Liu, Meng, Zhan, Jiayu, Wang, Lihui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological sciences; Cognitive neuroscience; Neuroscience; Sensory neuroscience
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110686

Visual perception is enacted and constrained by the constantly moving eyes. Although it is well known that the first two fixations are crucial for face recognition, the function of each fixation remains unspecified. Here we demonstrate a central-to-divergent pattern of the two fixations and specify their functions: Fix I clustered along the nose bridge to cover the broad facial information; Fix II diverged to eyes, nostrils, and lips to get the local information. Fix II correlated more than Fix I with the differentiating information between faces and contributed more to recognition responses. While face categories can be significantly discriminated by Fix II’s but not Fix I’s patterns alone, the combined patterns of the two yield better discrimination. Our results suggest a functional division and collaboration of the two fixations in sampling the general-to-specific facial information and add to understanding visual perception as an active process undertaken by structural motor programs. [Display omitted] •The first two fixations for face perception have a central-to-divergent pattern•Fix I samples the broad facial information and Fix II samples the local information•Fix II correlates more with the differentiating information for discriminating faces•The general-to-specific information is obtained by Fix I and Fix II’s collaboration Biological sciences; Neuroscience; Sensory neuroscience; Cognitive neuroscience.