Assignmentof the spatial relationships between facial features during face processing. Face processing involves not only configural or holistic processing(perceiving the combination of the different parts of a face into a gestalt),but also featural processing. The latter involves sensitivityto first-order relational configuration such that two eyes are above thenose and this is above the mouth to second-order relations resulting fromthe processing of the distances among each feature (e.g., distance between thenose and mouth) and the question of interest is how they interact in thedevelopment of facial recognition, and . A dissociation between configuraland featural processing of faces can be seen in comparing autistic and Williamssyndrome children. Autistic children appear to have a relative strengthin the configural or holistic processing of faces, and those with Williamssyndrome for processing the features of faces as shown by the invertedpresentation of faces. In cases of congenital propagnosia, it is notentirely clear whether it gives rise to process-specific deficiencies, orwhether it is a face-specific impairment. A relatively recent study suggeststhere is a face-specific deficit in congenital prosopagnosia, but one thatus pronounced for processing configural facial information.
SeeAutism, Categorical perception, CONLERN, Double dissociation, Face recognition, Face processing,Prosopagnosia, Williams syndrome