Modular serial-parallel network for hierarchical facial representations.

Abstract

Some evidence suggests that faces are perceived holistically, but subjective experience and research on the neural organization of the visual system indicate that facial parts can also be analyzed individually. Thus, advances in theories of face perception are met with two major challenges: How can hierarchical face representations be used to integrate holistic and analytic encoding within the same framework? And how can the stages of face processing be integrated with higher level cognitive processes, such as memory and decision making? We propose a novel computational framework termed the "Modular Serial-Parallel Network" (MSPN), which synthesizes several perceptual and cognitive approache..