FREE PUBLIC EVENT: The Hamilton Science Faith Forum and the CSCA present a lecture by Lindsey Short (Associate Professor of Psychology, Redeemer University).
Let’s Face It! Exploring Expertise and Biases in Face Processing within a Creation, Fall, Redemption Narrative
Adults demonstrate exquisite sensitivity to the characteristics of the human face. However, despite this expertise, our recognition of the faces of individuals of different racial backgrounds and ages is significantly impaired, which can negatively affect our interactions with others. In the present talk, I examine expertise and biases in face processing by exploring two frameworks: 1) the traditional evolutionary model cited by most academics, and 2) a novel integrative approach guided by a Reformed Christian perspective focused on reconciling modern research findings within a creation, fall, redemption narrative. In doing so, I demonstrate that a Christian worldview offers a unique lens through we can understand limitations in face processing. Moreover, such a perspective provides a framework for guiding efforts at reconciliation, which traditional models have not been able to satisfactorily address.
Lindsey Short is Associate Professor of Psychology at Redeemer University. She received her BA in Psychology from Wittenberg University in 2008, her MA in Developmental Psychology from Brock University in 2010, and her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Brock University in 2014. Her research explores the role of experience in shaping adults’ and children’s ability to recognize and process faces.