自分の顔 : 熟知性の高い図形における対称性の揺らぎの知覚(<特集>高次視覚における認知と理解)

抄録

Visual search experiments were conducted to examine if the representation of our own face was able to draw a line between the normal and mirror-reversed images. The participants performed a more efficient search when they detected a normal image of their own face against a background of a mirror-reversed image, than for the reverse condition. This search asymmetry reflected an advantage in a familiarity for the mirror-reversed image over the normal image. The results suggest that the human visual system holds a refined representation of our own face as a mirror-reversal and perceives any slight fluctuating asymmetry. This acute sensitivity to our own face may be the upper-boundary of ability for visual object recognition and be a consequence of daily experiences, of viewing the reversed image in a mirror, which have raised the acuity to the highest level.