The influence of trait and physical-feature-based orienting strategies on aspects of facial memory

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Abstract
A series of incidental learning experiments in which facial memory is assessed following either a connotative feature task (how likable is this person?) or a distinctive feature task (what is the most prominent physical feature of this face?) are described. Subjects saw each target face in a different environmental setting (e.g. pub, carpack) and their memory was tested in the following 2 ways: an old/new recognition test, in which each target face was presented in mugshot form (i.e. devoid of the original context); and a 2nd context recall or recognition test in which subjects'' ability to remember the environmental context in which each face had appeared was examined. Subjects performed the connotative task significantly faster than the distinctive features task. Recognition accuracy measured in various ways was identical in the 2 orienting conditions. Recognition latencies to targets and distractors in the yes/no recognition test were significantly faster following connotative processing. Recognition latencies to target faces presented in context during learning were significantly faster than targets initially presented devoid of context following connotative processing but not following distinctive features orientation. Context recall and recognition were significantly and substantially higher following connotative processing. These data are discussed in terms of Winograd''s assertion that connotative and physical-feature-based orienting tasks induce the same type of encoding.

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