Face and object perception - How are faces and complex objects analyzed and represented in the human brain?

The lab is very interested in the neurocomputational bases of human object recognition. This research relies on advanced behavioral methods, naturalistic and 3D rendered stimuli, fMRI studies as well as TMS, and most recently, the application and development of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) as a model for human recognition performance. A highly related focus is that of understanding the neurocomputational bases of object-based attentional selection.

Relevant Publications

Tong, F., Nakayama, K., Vaughan, J. T., & Kanwisher, N. (1998). Binocular rivalry and visual awareness in human extrastriate cortex. Neuron, 21, 753-759.

PDF Article

Kanwisher, N., Tong, F., & Nakayama, K. (1998). The effects of face inversion on the human fusiform face area. Cognition, 68, B1-B11.

PDF Article

Tong, F., Nakayama, K., Moscovitch, M., Weinrib, O., & Kanwisher, N. (2000). Response properties of the human fusiform face area. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 17, 257-279.

PDF Article

Cohen, J. D., & Tong, F. (2001). The face of controversy: Science, 293, 2405-2407.

PDF Article

McKeeff, T. J., & Tong, F. (2007). The timing of perceptual decisions for ambiguous face stimuli in the human ventral visual cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 17, 669-678.

PDF Article

McKeeff, T. J., Remus, D. R., & Tong, F. (2007). Temporal limitations in object processing across the human ventral visual pathway. Journal of Neurophysiology, 98, 382-393.

PDF Article

McKeeff, T. J., McGugin, R. W., Tong, F., & Gauthier, I. (2010). Expertise increases the functional overlap between face and object perception. Cognition, 117(3): 355-360.

PDF Article

Kietzmann, T. C., Swisher, J. D., König, P., & Tong, F. (2012). Prevalence of selectivity for mirror-symmetric views of faces in the ventral and dorsal visual pathways. Journal of Neuroscience, 32: 11763-11772.

PDF Article

Pratte, M. S., Ling, S., Swisher, J. D., & Tong, F. (2013). How attention extracts objects from noise. Journal of Neurophysiology, 110(6), 1346-1356.

Cohen, E. C., & Tong, F. (2015). Neural mechanisms of object-based attention. Cerebral Cortex, 25(4), 1080-1092.

Kietzmann, T. C., Poltoratski, S., König, P., Blake, R., Tong, F., & Ling, S. (2015). The occipital face area is causally involved in facial viewpoint perception. Journal of Neuroscience, 35, 16398-16403.

FACE & OBJECT PERCEPTION

Relevant Publications

Tong, F., Nakayama, K., Vaughan, J. T., & Kanwisher, N. (1998). Binocular rivalry and visual awareness in human extrastriate cortex. Neuron, 21, 753-759.

Kanwisher, N., Tong, F., & Nakayama, K. (1998). The effects of face inversion on the human fusiform face area. Cognition, 68, B1-B11.

Tong, F., Nakayama, K., Moscovitch, M., Weinrib, O., & Kanwisher, N. (2000). Response properties of the human fusiform face area. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 17, 257-279.

Cohen, J. D., & Tong, F. (2001). The face of controversy: Science, 293, 2405-2407.

McKeeff, T. J., & Tong, F. (2007). The timing of perceptual decisions for ambiguous face stimuli in the human ventral visual cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 17, 669-678.

McKeeff, T. J., Remus, D. R., & Tong, F. (2007). Temporal limitations in object processing across the human ventral visual pathway. Journal of Neurophysiology, 98, 382-393.

McKeeff, T. J., McGugin, R. W., Tong, F., & Gauthier, I. (2010). Expertise increases the functional overlap between face and object perception. Cognition, 117(3): 355-360.

Kietzmann, T. C., Swisher, J. D., König, P., & Tong, F. (2012). Prevalence of selectivity for mirror-symmetric views of faces in the ventral and dorsal visual pathways. Journal of Neuroscience, 32: 11763-11772.

Pratte, M. S., Ling, S., Swisher, J. D., & Tong, F. (2013). How attention extracts objects from noise. Journal of Neurophysiology, 110(6), 1346-1356.

Cohen, E. C., & Tong, F. (2015). Neural mechanisms of object-based attention. Cerebral Cortex, 25(4), 1080-1092.

Kietzmann, T. C., Poltoratski, S., König, P., Blake, R., Tong, F., & Ling, S. (2015). The occipital face area is causally involved in facial viewpoint perception. Journal of Neuroscience, 35, 16398-16403.