EFFECTS OF ENCODING OPERATIONS ON RECOGNITION MEMORY FOR UPRIGHT AND INVERTED FACES

Using a yes/no task in which distracters were closely matched to targe ts, three experiments examined the effect of encoding operations on re cognition memory for upright and inverted faces. Correct recognition f or targets (hits) was lower on inverted than on upright faces. However , the decline was smaller for feature than for trait judgments or for expression judgments (Experiment 1), for feature than for trait judgme nts (Experiment 2), and for feature than for global judgments (Experim ent 3). These findings suggest that faces are primarily encoded in ter ms of isolated components with feature judgments, and in terms of conf igural information (spatial information among features) with trait, ex pression, and global judgments.