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Facial recognition: the psychology behind faces

This is a Psychology Subject Spotlight with Dr Natalie Butcher from Teesside University. An interactive, cinematic course taster experience to allow students to gain insights into what it's like to study Psychology.

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In this extremely interesting and current Subject Spotlight, Dr Natalie Butcher examines facial recognition and the psychology behind facial processing. In episode 1, Natalie looks at the fundamentals of facial recognition, explains the disorder Prosopagnosia, and explains the concept of holistic face processing. In episode 2, Natalie explores some of the factors that impact facial recognition, such as race, facial movement, and familiarity. In episode 3, Natalie explores the case study of Lazlo Virag and two psychological studies that demonstrate how hard unfamiliar face recognition is. Finally, in episode 4, Natalie looks at how facial recognition can impact celebrities, using Taylor Swift as an example. Natalie then sets you an activity which involves the real life practice of drawing a person’s likeness.

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About Teesside University

Based on its vibrant campus in the heart of Middlesbrough in North East England, Teesside University is a friendly, modern university offering a broad portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate courses spanning a wide range of subject areas. The university has invested more than £280m in its town-centre campus, giving it a leading edge in digital innovation, forensic facilities, science, and sport and health sciences. It is also investing an additional £300m until 2027 to further enhance the student experience. Teesside University has received outstanding praise for its commitment to students – achieving gold in all areas in the Teaching Excellence Framework 2023. It has also been named university of the year for social inclusion in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022, indicating the strength of its student community and the success of the university in cultivating a supporting learning environment, with plenty of opportunities for socialising and personal enrichment beyond the classroom.

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Meet the academics

Dr Natalie Butcher

Dr Natalie Butcher (PhD Psychology) is a Lecturer in Psychology within the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law at Teesside University. She studied her first degree in Psychology at the University of Manchester, where she stayed on to complete an EPSRC funded PhD within the Cognitive and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group. Her PhD, completed in 2009, investigated the effect of facial motion information on the recognition of same and other race faces. Natalie is a member of the Experimental Psychology Society and the Cognitive Section of the British Psychological Society. Prior to commencing her current post in 2014, Natalie worked as a post-doctoral research associate at Teesside University, funded by the ESRC, and then as a Lecturer in Psychology at York St John University. Natalie has experience in teaching a variety of modules at undergraduate level, as well as experience of PhD supervision. She currently leads a module on Current Issues in Neurodevelopmental Disorders and teaches on the Psychology Dissertation, and Development, Cognitive Processes and Disorders modules. 

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Subject Spotlights fuse education and entertainment to bring you the new way of researching your university options.

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This subject spotlight is made for students aged 16 and above, that are considering applying to University, particularly to study the subject in the title, or similar areas.

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The easiest way to include it would be to briefly mention one or two things you learned from it and how/why those learnings have furthered your desire to study the subject. We don't want to prescribe an answer because it's your personal statement but this is a good starting point!