Face-likeness affects Unconscious Processing

Martinsen Michael Makoto

Doctor Course Student, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Our brains possess a cognitive mechanism that allows us to quickly recognize faces even with limited visual information. Focusing on this phenomenon, Toyohashi University of Technology investigated how the brain processes ambiguous visual stimuli resembling faces under unconscious conditions. The research team from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, comprising members from the Visual Perception and Cognition and Cognitive Neuroengineering Laboratories, investigated the processing mechanisms for ambiguous images under unconscious conditions, utilizing a technique called Continuous Flash Suppression (CFS). This method involves rapidly presenting images to one eye to suppress the visual information of the other eye. The research revealed that even ambiguous black-and-white stimuli reach consciousness more quickly when they resemble faces. This suggests that the brain responds rapidly even when facial cues are minimal.

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