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Sexton, Laura, Butcher, N. and Reay, J. (2026) Facial Motion Enhances Face Recognition and Guides Visual Attention in Typical Recognisers and Developmental Prosopagnosia. Brain Sciences, 16 (6). p. 567. ISSN 2076-3425

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Abstract

Abstract

Background: Facial motion has been shown to enhance face recognition in typical recognisers and increase attention to diagnostic internal facial features (eyes, nose and mouth), which may support improved recognition. The present study aimed to replicate these effects and assess whether they extend to individuals with developmental prosopagnosia (DP), who show impairments in face recognition and reduced attention to the internal features. Methods: Participants completed a famous face recognition task (Experiment 1) and an unfamiliar old/new recognition task (Experiment 2), with both static and moving stimuli. Eye movements were recorded to assess visual attention. In each experiment, two analyses were conducted: a replication analysis in a neurotypical sample (Experiment 1: n = 49; Experiment 2: n = 51), and a separate comparison of 14 individuals with DP with a subset of 16 age-matched controls. Results: Across both experiments, recognition accuracy was higher for moving than static faces in both the control and DP samples, and participants directed a greater proportion of visual attention to internal facial features when faces were presented in motion. However, compared to age-matched controls, individuals with DP showed differences in the allocation of attention to the internal facial features. Conclusions: The findings replicate evidence that facial motion enhances recognition and increases attention to the internal facial features in typical recognisers and extend these effects to individuals with DP. Although individuals with DP benefit from motion, differences in the distribution of attention across internal features remain, suggesting that motion alters but does not normalise face-scanning strategies.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: developmental prosopagnosia; face recognition; motion; eye-movements
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Depositing User: Laura Sexton
URI: https://sure.sunderland.ac.uk/id/eprint/20277

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Uncontrolled Keywords
developmental prosopagnosia; face recognition; motion; eye-movements
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Item ID
20277
Identification Number
ISSN
2076-3425

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ORCID for Laura Sexton
ORCID for N. Butcher
ORCID for J. Reay

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Date Deposited
02 Jun 2026 10:27
Last Modified
24 Jul 2026 15:30

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