Cognitive Neuroscience of Face Perception

The human face is one of the most important social stimuli we encounter every day. Multiple aspects of the face such as its identity, age, race, gender, emotion or gaze direction need to be extracted and processed rapidly and accurately by the brain to allow efficient social interactions. This seminar offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of face perception. We will cover major aspects of face processing including the perception and recognition of identity, emotions and gaze direction, their neural bases and their links to social cognition and theory of mind. We will discuss chapters and fundamental papers integrating the most recent findings from neuropsychology, neuroimaging and cognitive psychology. This course is most suited for students interested in brain-behaviour relationships. Basic Cognitive Neuroscience knowledge is required.