The Influence Of Perceptual Load On The Processing Of Strange Face And Gender Information

As the load theory(Lavie, 1995) argues that the quality of the current task perceptual load determines the allocation of resources in the process of selective attention. If the perceptual load of task of is low, the task of the machining process using only a part of attention resources, the remaining resources will be automatically processing of the indifferent stimulus, the resulting interference effect. If the current task of perceptual load is high, pay attention to the resources is exhausted, then interference task irrelevant stimulus will not further perception and processing, the interference effect will disappear.Although perceptual load theory is supported by a large number of research, but also research shows that when faces as interference stimulation, the interference effects will not disappear. The researchers believe that this is caused by the specificity of the face processing. Previous research in this field mainly familiar faces as materials, as a face, facial expression, as the research object. On face of race, gender and age have significant societal significance of less information. This research adopts the classic flanker task type, under four different perceptual load level at the same time present different face as interference stimulation, race and gender information using the task name face racial and gender and racial and gender may be inconsistent and produce interference effects, to examine whether the face of race and gender information processing will be affected by the perceptual load. The results show that:1. When the face was task irrelevant, face racial processing showed the tendency of a certain extent, independent of the perceptual load level. When the perceptual load increases, not make confront racial interference effect.2. When the face was task irrelevant, face gender processing by the regulation of perceptual load level.Load levels are low, the task of the machining process using only a part of attention resources, extra attention resources give face gender information processing automatically, thus the disturbance effect.In the task of high perceptual load, pay attention to the resources is exhausted, face gender not processing, interference effects disappear.3. When judging task has certain fuzziness, women are more easy to automatic processing external face gender information as a clue, and impact on the current task to judge, and the effect is not affected by perceptual load level. In the same situation,male participants were less reflects the tendency of automatic processing and external information on gender, confront the interference effect of the gender information along with the rising of the perceptual load level.4. When face gender and race information as variables exist at the same time, the mutual influence between them.