Unfamiliar face matching, within-person variability, and multiple-image arrays

ABSTRACT

Human unfamiliar face matching is error-prone, but some research suggests matching to multiple-image arrays instead of single images may yield improvements. Here, high or low variability arrays containing one, two, and three images, and a target image from the high and low variability image sets were displayed. Arrays were presented simultaneously or sequentially, and the target image was presented simultaneously with arrays or sequentially after arrays, in three experiments. Benefits from exposure to multiple images of the same person required simultaneous viewing of images and improvements were observed in match trials only. Only sequential viewing of a multiple-image array followed by a high variability target image enhanced overall accuracy across trial types, particularly for high variability arrays. Accuracy was highest when the target image and array items were visually similar. Results show the importance of image similarity, and suggest variability is most helpful when array and target are presented sequentially.

KEYWORDS:

• Unfamiliar
• face
• matching
• variability

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Diane Lamila, Ivan Wong, Malvika D’Costa, Sandra Drozdz, and Victoria Vella for their assistance with data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability and supplemental materials statement

All data for experiments and supplemental analyses have been uploaded to OSF with DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/XW7YG (https://osf.io/xw7yg/?view_only=f5d1f5302e974748a3aa54ebe1b2944b).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Guelph-Humber under [grant number 004] awarded to AS and KLR, and by a University of Lincoln College of Social Science Research Fund grant awarded to KLR.