Recognizing one's own face

• Published in: Cognition Vol. 78; no. 1; pp. B1 - B15
• Main Authors: Kircher, Tilo T.J, Senior, Carl, Phillips, Mary L, Rabe-Hesketh, Sophia, Benson, Philip J, Bullmore, Edward T, Brammer, Mick, Simmons, Andrew, Bartels, Mathias, David, Anthony S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 2001; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Anatomical correlates of behavior; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - blood supply; Brain - metabolism; Dominance, Cerebral; Face; Face recognition; Female; Functional imaging; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Nerve Net; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reaction Time; Recognition (Psychology); Self Concept; Self-perception; Visual Perception; Self-concept; Reaction time; Face recognition; Self-perception; Functional imaging; Human; Central nervous system; Self perception; Cognition; Experimental study; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Topography; Vision; Medical imagery; Perception; Self concept; Face; Recognition; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0010-0277; 1873-7838
• DOI: 10.1016/S0010-0277(00)00104-9

We report two studies of facial self-perception using individually tailored, standardized facial photographs of a group of volunteers and their partners. A computerized morphing procedure was used to merge each target face with an unknown control face. In the first set of experiments, a discrimination task revealed a delayed response time for the more extensively morphed self-face stimuli. In a second set of experiments, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activation while subjects viewed morphed versions of either their own or their partner's face, alternating in blocks with presentation of an unknown face. When subjects viewed themselves (minus activation for viewing an unknown face), increased blood oxygenation was detected in right limbic (hippocampal formation, insula, anterior cingulate), left prefrontal cortex and superior temporal cortex. In the partner (versus unknown) experiment, only the right insula was activated. We suggest that a neural network involving the right hemisphere in conjunction with left-sided associative and executive regions underlies the process of visual self-recognition. Together, this combination produces the unique experience of self-awareness.