Recognition of masked faces in the era of the pandemic: No improvement, despite extensive, natural exposure
Erez Freud, Andreja Stajduhar, R. Shayna Rosenbaum, Galia Avidan, Tzvi Ganel
Abstract
Face masks became prevalent across the globe to minimize the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research highlighted their negative qualitative and quantitative impact on face recognition. An outstanding question is whether these effects would attenuate following persistent natural exposure to masked faces in the era of the pandemic. This question also pertains, more generally, to potential effects of training on face recognition in natural settings. 1,236 participants were tested on masked, non-masked, upright and inverted versions of the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) at different time points over one year. The results showed persistent deficits in recognizing masked faces across time points. This was followed by persistent qualitative change, a reduced inversion effect for masked compared to non-masked faces. Together, these findings provide compelling support for the idea that the mature face processing system in humans is rigid in nature, even following prolonged, real-life exposure to altered faces.