Exploring the unconscious using faces

Vadim Axelrod; Moshe Bar; Geraint Rees

doi:10.1016/j.tics.2014.11.003

Exploring the unconscious using faces

Trends Cogn Sci. 2015 Jan;19(1):35-45. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2014.11.003. Epub 2014 Dec 4.

Authors

Vadim Axelrod¹, Moshe Bar², Geraint Rees³

Affiliations

¹ The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel; University College London (UCL) Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK. Electronic address: vadim.axelrod@gmail.com.
² The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel.
³ University College London (UCL) Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.

PMID: 25481216
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2014.11.003

Abstract

Understanding the mechanisms of unconscious processing is one of the most substantial endeavors of cognitive science. While there are many different empirical ways to address this question, the use of faces in such research has proven exceptionally fruitful. We review here what has been learned about unconscious processing through the use of faces and face-selective neural correlates. A large number of cognitive systems can be explored with faces, including emotions, social cueing and evaluation, attention, multisensory integration, and various aspects of face processing.

Keywords: face-selective biomarkers; faces; invisible stimuli; unconscious processing.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain / physiology*
Facial Recognition / physiology*
Humans
Social Perception
Unconscious, Psychology*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding