What's a super-recogniser?

Abstract

When Russel et al. first introduced the term 'super-recogniser' (SR), they observed that 'super-recognizers are about as good as many developmental prosopagnosics are bad', with regard to both face perception and recognition (Russell et al., 2009). As Meike Ramon reports in her Viewpoint in this issue (Ramon, 2021), SRs have since been the focus of considerable media attention and some 25 papers. Still, the term lacks a uniform operational definition, risking the comparison of apples and oranges. Thus, Ramon proposes a clear rule for qualifying someone as SR, which is precise enough for standardisation but at the same time affords flexibility. She also makes a strong case for open research practices and documentation, underscored by her exemplary presentation of 70 cases.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Face perception; Open science; Super-recogniser.