2 TYPES OF FACIAL IMPRESSION JUDGMENTS AN D RECOGNITION MEMORY FOR FACES

The author investigated the semantic processing advantage effect on fa cial recognition memory using two types of personality traits and two types of recognition tests. In Experiment 1, based on the personality impression ratings for smiling and neutral faces made by 40 subjects, four expression-independent (i.e., intelligent, reliable, determined, and ambitious) and four expression-dependent (i.e. extroverted, friend ly, affectionate, and likeable) personality trait words were selected. In Experiment 2, two groups of 22 subjects (expression-dependent trai t group and expression-independent trait group) were asked to rate 32 faces in terms of physical features or personality traits. This was fo llowed by an unexpected yes-no recognition test in which identical pic tures of the target Faces or the same person's expression-changed face s were randomly presented with distracter faces. In identical-picture recognition condition, the semantic processing advantage emerged in bo th expression-dependent and expression-independent trait groups, where as in expression-changed recognition condition the advantage appeared only in expression-independent trait group. It was discussed that the semantic-codes explanation would be plausible to explain the results o btained.