Indian Face Perception Project

About

Face recognition is a fundamental aspect of human social cognition, enabling us to identify individuals, interpret expressions, and navigate complex social environments. While most people perform this task with ease, there is substantial individual variability. At one end of the spectrum are individuals with developmental prosopagnosia, or face blindness, a condition affecting approximately 3% of the population, in which even familiar faces may not be reliably recognized. At the other end are super-recognizers, who possess exceptionally strong face memory and identification abilities. About 1 in 30 people may have face blindness, yet it often goes undiagnosed, leading to confusion or social anxiety.

The Indian Face Perception Project is the first large-scale effort to study these differences in India, aiming to capture the full range of face recognition ability across the country’s diverse population. This research can help raise awareness, identify people at both ends of the spectrum, and offer better support or tools for those who struggle. It also has real-world applications—such as improving training for security roles or developing facial recognition technologies that work better for Indian faces. Ultimately, the project aims to build a fairer, more inclusive understanding of how we perceive and remember faces.

For more information, visit the Indian Face Perception Project here.

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