The face typicality-recognizability relationship: Encoding or retrieval locus?

Using a crossover recognition memory testing paradigm, we tested whether th e effects on face recognition of the memorability component of face typical ity (Vokey & Read, 1992, 1995) are due primarily to the encoding process oc curring during study or to the retrieval process occurring at test. At stud y, faces were either veridical in form or at moderate (Experiment 1) or ext reme (Experiment 2) levels of caricature. The variable of degree of facial caricature at study was crossed with the degree of caricature at test. The primary contribution of increased memorability to increased hit rate was th rough increased distinctiveness at study. Increased distinctiveness at test contributed to substantial reductions in the false alarm rate, too. Signal detection analyses confirmed that the mirror effects obtained were primari ly stimulus/memory-based, rather than decision-based. Contrary to the concl usion of Vokey and Read (1992), we found that increments in face memorabili ty produced increments in face recognition that were due at least as much t o enhanced encoding of studied faces as they were to increased rejection of distractor faces.