Direction of gaze effects on early face processing: eyes-only versus full faces

The N170 event-related potential (ERP) reflects an early stage of face proc essing. We wished to determine if it would also index the intuitively impor tant information provided by direction of gaze. Two studies were run. In on e, stimuli included full faces with the eyes looking forward, to the left o r closed; in the other study the stimuli included eyes-only, looking forwar d, left or closed. Gaze direction had no effects on amplitude, hut longer l atencies were found for faces with eyes closed. With eyes-only stimuli, mor e marked effects on latencies and borderline effects on amplitudes were see n. We suggest that there can only be limited evidence of gaze-specific sens itivity in ERP studies in humans, without eye movement. (C) 2001 Elsevier S cience B.V. All rights reserved.