Introduction
Face recognition refers to an individual’s cognitive ability to process, remember, and select an object (a person’s face). This tool of the thinking system belongs to the short-term memory and serves as an indicator of the development of the structure of memorization and processing of external signals (Rehnman & Herlitz, 2007). Understanding the mechanism of this cognitive system allows clinicians, psychologists, and scientists to design systems of importance more accurately for dealing with human memory.
One area of such research is the study of gender differences or, more simply, identifying patterns of recognition and memory system performance associated with gender. Authors have repeatedly confirmed that episodic memory in response to verbal cues is better developed in women than men (Astur et al., 1998; Lewin et al., 2001; Ruff et al., 1989). Research proves that episodic memory in response to objects more directed toward men is better developed in men than women.
Thus, there are differences in how the short-term memory apparatus works in males and females and contradictions in research findings. The present work addresses such contradictions related to face recognition. Faces can be perceived as verbal and nonverbal cues simultaneously, which, given previous findings, indicates a better ability of women to memorize these faces.
On the other hand, faces can be perceived as objects attractive to men, indirectly indicating the possibility of better memorization and recognition among men. Given the uncertainty regarding face recognition, the present work expands the understanding of the mechanisms of the short-term memory system. It provides an answer to the potential links of face recognition with gender.
Methods
A quasi-experimental design was used for the study, the essence of which was to assess differences between gender groups. The total sample (n = 40) was divided into four groups of 10 people each, ensuring each participant had access to computer monitors. After being informed of the aims and objectives of this study, participants were asked to look at ten previously photographed faces of people, of which five belonged to males and the remaining five were female.
After some time to look at the faces, participants were asked to evaluate each of the face images presented to them, in turn, to assess whether it was included in the previously presented set or was new. Thus, the dependent variable of the present study was continuous and included the number of correct answers that respondents gave after completing the test. A t-test of independent samples with a significance threshold of.05 was used to assess the statistical significance of differences in the mean values of the number of correct answers between males and females.
Results
The results of descriptive statistics showed that the mean number of correct answers among females (M = 8.20, SD = 1.10) was higher than the exact figure among males (M = 5.45, SD = 1.50). Performing inferential statistics showed the statistical significance of such differences (t(38) = -6.80, p <.001), as shown in Table 1. It is evident from the results that females did give an average of 40.3% more correct responses than males.
Conclusion
The study’s purpose was to identify patterns of face recognition about gender, which was to answer the contradictions and deficits of valuable knowledge found in the literature search. A t-test of independent samples was conducted to determine differences in the number of correct responses: men and women were looked at an image of faces, after which they were asked to evaluate the offered image with a question asking whether a particular face was presented in the set.
The results showed that women tended to recognize, remember, and process faces more often and correctly than men. Considering earlier studies, this finding indicates that faces per se are hardly male-directed objects but rather perceived verbal and nonverbal cues in which women have been shown to show enhanced memorization (Rehnman& Herlitz, 2007; Lewin et al., 2001). Thus, the present research work can be completed, given that the aim was achieved.
References
Astur, R. S., Ortiz, M. L., & Sutherland, R. J. (1998). A characterization of performance by men and women in a virtual Morris water task: A large and reliable sex difference. Behavioural Brain Research, 93(1-2), 185-190. Web.
Lewin, C., Wolgers, G., & Herlitz, A. (2001). Sex differences favoring women in verbal but not in visuospatial episodic memory. Neuropsychology, 15(2), 165-173. Web.
Rehnman, J., & Herlitz, A. (2007). Women remember more faces than men do. Acta psychologica, 124(3), 344-355. Web.
Ruff, R. M., Light, R. H., & Quayhagen, M. (1989). Selective reminding tests: A normative study of verbal learning in adults. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 11(4), 539-550. Web.