The author investigated the semantic processing advantage effect on facial recognition memory using two types of personality traits and two types of recognition tests. In Experiment 1, based on the personality impression ratings for smiling and neutral faces made by 40 subjects, four expression-independent (i.e., intelligent, reliable, determined, and ambitious) and four expression-dependent (i.e. extroverted, friendly, affectionate, and likeable) personality trait words were selected. In Experiment 2, two groups of 22 subjects (expression-dependent trait group and expression-independent trait group) were asked to rate 32 faces in terms of physical features or personality traits. This was followed by an unexpected yes-no recognition test in which identical pictures of the target faces or the same person's expression-changed faces were randomly presented with distractor faces. In identical-picture recognition condition, the semantic processing advantage emerged in both expression-dependent and expression-independent trait groups, whereas in expression-changed recognition condition the advantage appeared only in expression-independent trait group. It was discussed that the semantic-codes explanation would be plausible to explain the results obtained.
