[Processing mechanism of social cues in faces]

Abstract

The purpose of the present paper was to review the processing mechanisms of social cues in faces. We summarized researches relative to social cues in faces and discussed the processing mechanism of these cues from the aspects of facial expression, facial attractiveness, gaze and face direction, and lipreading. First, we discussed the general neural mechanism of face information processing and summarized the functions of face areas in the fusiform gyrus, posterior superior temporal sulcus and inferior occipital gyrus. Next, the neural mechanism of emotional face perception was discussed. The processing of emotional faces consists of encodings of perceptual and emotional components. The amygdala plays an important role in the emotional processing of facial expressions. Furthermore, the neural responses to facial expressions may be influenced by multiple factors, such as the type of emotion, the dynamic presentation of the face and the consciousness of facial expressions. With respect to facial attractiveness processing, studies has shown that the reward circuitry is activated by highly attractive faces. However, the influence of facial attractiveness on neural responses remains elusive. It is proposed that the neural responses to facial attractiveness might be modulated by factors such as the task, observer's sex, expectation and other social cues in faces. Eye gaze perception and face view perception are related to visual attention, and the relevant neural circuitry has been found to include attention-related areas, such as the intraparietal sulcus. Finally, research on lipreading reveals its important role in language perception. The auditory cortex and language-related cortex have been shown to be activated by lipreading. In summary, the present evidence may support facial information processing theory. However, the theory could be further improved based on present and future findings. Furthermore, we discussed the deficits in the processing of social cues in individuals with mental disorders and proposed future research directions in this field.