Facial recognition differences between men and women

Facial Recognition in Men and Women and Their Differences

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of difference in terms of how men and women recognize faces. The central question is whether this function of facial recognition is a biological phenomenon only or if it is something affected by cognitivism, which can in turn be influenced by sociocultural factors. The paper first examines what previous research has shown in terms of the biological differences in how men and women recognize faces. Then it addresses the evidence suggesting that sociocultural factors impact the cognitive processes involved in this function. It concludes that facial recognition is as much impacted by biology as it is by sociocultural phenomena.

Introduction

Do men and women read faces differently? Current research suggests that when it comes to biological sex differences, women have an advantage in terms of having an ability to read emotion in the faces better than men (Wingenbach, Ashwin & Brosnan, 2018). One possible explanation for this difference is that sociocultural factors influence the extent to which men and women are able to recognize both familiar and unfamiliar faces (Mishra et al., 2019). Cognitivism is another possible explanation, as a person learns to use new information and apply it to a current situation (Rosser-Majors, 2017). This paper examines whether cognitivism—the ability to learn facial recognition—or sociocultural factors are more important in explaining facial recognition differences among men and women. It shows that both play an important role in determining recognition, but that there is no clear cut answer to the question of whether biological or cultural differences are the bigger factor.

Differences

Facial recognition differences exist between men and women (Rennels & Cummings, 2013). Studies conducted with male and female infants as well as adults have shown that facial recognition differences do exist. Males tend to process information holistically while females tend to process information using second-order relations. Encoding features is an important aspect of what drives females to recognize emotion in faces. However, when it comes to recognizing familiar vs. unfamiliar faces in general, there appears to be a skew towards a male advantage (Mishra et al., 2019). What Rennels and Cummings (2013) have shown is that hemispheric activity in the brain is different for males and females when it comes to facial recognition.

Wingenbach et al. (2018) have pointed out that facial expressions are important aspects of communication. Thus facial recognition is not just a matter of identifying a face but also of reading the face and interpreting what is being said there. Because males and females read faces differently, as observed through study of infants and males, it stands to reason when women see a face something different is going on in the processing of that information that what happens when men see a face. Men tend to focus more on identifying the face, whereas women tend to focus more on reading the face (Wingebach et al., 2018). Yet in some parts of the world there appears to be no difference in terms of male vs. female recognition of faces (Mishra et al., 2019). Scherf, Elbich and Motta-Mena (2017) have shown, moreover, that face recognition is a social skill that can be acquired equally by men and women alike. As facial recognition is an important aspect of social interaction, the differences between male and female ability to recognize and read faces must be influenced both by biological factors as well as by environmental ones, i.e., by social circumstances.

Part of facial recognition and reading is the ability to demonstrate emotional and social intelligence (Hendon, Powell & Wimmer, 2017). Social and emotional intelligence skills are related to how well an individual can interpret non-verbal communications, including facial expressions. It is a skill that requires one to use cognitivism by building on prior knowledge and applying to a given situation. However, in cultures that are more male-dominated, it may be more difficult for women to possess these skills, which can facilitate facial recognition. At the same time, because women encode information differently from men, it may be that women can bridge the sociocultural gap that exists in male-dominated cultures by using their biological abilities to read and recognize faces, putting them at more of an even keel with men.

Cognitivism vs. Sociocultural Influences

Memory is a complex phenomenon that involves short and long-term memory processes and can be affected by false memories. Working memory is what one uses when short-term memory information is moved to long-term memory information. Information is at first sensory; then it moves to one’s short-term memory, and if it is utilized more it becomes part of one’s long-term memory. Factors that affect this process include the extent to which one pays attention and the extent to which one is able to perceive information. Paying attention to information is a process by which a person identifies the data and notes how relevant it is to the person’s immediate situation. If it is perceived to have relevance to the person, the individual gives it some attention. That information is then encoded in the mind. The process of perceiving requires one to interpret what one sees and to understand that data. This process is what is at work when it comes to facial recognition (Sherf et al., 2017).

Other factors can play a part in determining the extent to which this process is facilitated in men and women alike. For instance, in a culture where male faces are seen more in media than women’s faces, it is more likely that men’s faces will be more quickly recognized by men and women (Mishra et al., 2019). Sociocultural factors such as how men and women are portrayed in media, what their roles in society are, and what their interactions with others are like can affect the extent to which facial recognition occurs for both.

When one inaccurately perceives or misinterprets information it can create a false memory (Otgaar & Baker, 2018). Thus, it is not even just a matter of being exposed to information; one must also be able to see it clearly, gauge its relevance, and interpret it. The skill of emotional intelligence is for that reason something that researchers believe can be learned over time (Hendon et al., 2017). But if one has no experience in interacting with others, reading faces, or understanding what facial expressions mean, the skill is less likely to be acquired. Facial recognition is not just a function but also a skill that can acquired because it involves processes of memory. Short-term, long-term, working and false memory processes can all be involved. Men and women can both engage with these processes as part of their biological development. Yet, sociocultural influences can also impact them.

Cognitivism is what enables a person to build on prior knowledge and apply it to new situations. So, for instance, if a man sees a familiar or unfamiliar face, he might use cognition to focus on specific features, whether internal or external to the face, to understand what he is seeing. Women may use cognition to focus on different cues to assess the information and to interpret it. Men may be looking for identifiers so as to figure out if they know the face; women may be looking for clues as to what the face is telling them. Bandura (2018) highlights the important role that media, peers and groups all play in the psychological development of people. Social psychologists like Bandura (2018) have shown that cognitive development is indeed impacted by the way people interact with others and construct their own identity. Socialization is therefore an important and critical piece of the puzzle regarding the differences in the way men and women recognize faces.

Socialization

Socialization is a process that involves both cognitivism and social interaction. One must learn from what one sees, but one must also be engaged with an environment. In some cultural environments, men and women are exposed to situations unequally, which can affect the degree to which something like facial recognition is achievable for either group. This is why Mishra et al. (2019) posit that sociocultural factors can affect facial recognition among men and women differently: the processes of socialization are not the same for both in all cultures. In some cultures, men have more access to situations where they are encouraged to or given the opportunity to develop emotional and social intelligence skills. In other cultural settings, women may have the advantage. The fact is that every situation is going to be different: in some settings, women may be able to engage in facial recognition better than men because they have more experience in terms of socialization in that particular setting.

Additionally, famous male faces tend to be more recognizable than female faces, which suggests that the socialization processes for both males and females is predicated upon a sociocultural factor in which both sexes are exposed more to male faces than to female faces, at least in the media (Mishra et al., 2019). However, when it comes to recognizing unfamiliar faces, females tend to recognize female faces better than they do male faces (Mishra et al., 2019). This may suggest that women may be familiar with the features of women’s faces if in their sociocultural experience they spend more time with women. At the same time, men show no difference in terms of recognizing the unfamiliar faces of males or females—perhaps an outcome of male exposure to people in a culture that gives them more room to maneuver and engage with both sexes (Mishra et al., 2019).