Face recognition problems and a game to test it

[rurallib]

I started realizing I had a facial recognition problem a few years back although recently it seems worse. I think because we retired and don't get out as much.
If I don't see someone for a month or so I can't remember what they look like and you can bet I am frequently embarrassed.

Recently I heard a couple of programs on this on NPR. One of them was today. At the end they played a facial recognition game with the audience. The game is online so i had a chance to see how I stacked up.

Of the faces shown I got one right and the one prior to that looked quite familiar but couldn't put a name, time period or anything else with it to help me guess.

I used to pride myself on a good memory, watch Jeopardy daily and feel i do fairly good. But faces? good luck. I do have some real embarrassing stories on that front

So try it out and see how you do. http://www.radiolab.org/story/hey-dont-i-know-you/

[Generic Brad]

1. I only hit 3 out of 10

I have never failed to recognize any of those people before, but without ears and hair it is quite challenging to do.

[rurallib]

2. that is part of it, but I can honestly say I probably would not have gotten too many more

even with hair and ears. especially at that short of an interval.

For me it is quite a relief to know I am not the only one with such a problem.

[Donkees]

3. 5 out of 10 - got the first three and last two - hardly watch any tv to know who's who anymore

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. That is my problem..

One obvious face, 3 others I knew, but the rest are people I had do not usually see.

I am not sure if this is a valid test for face blindness as much as for celebrity knowing.

[Solly Mack]

4. 8/10

Meh.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Mr. Dixie says he has this problem.

I will send him the link, with thanks to you for posting.

[femmocrat]

7. 5 out of 10

I should have known at least two others though. The remaining three, I am not that familiar with.

[Ron Obvious]

8. Prosopagnosia...

I realised a few years ago that I had this as well. I've always been exceptionally bad at recognising faces, but I didn't realise just how bad. A haircut or change in facial hair is enough to put me off, and seeing someone outside of where I usually see them (e.g. work) is enough to throw me off completely. It's caused a lot of hurt feelings over the years, actually.

I think I subconsciously assume everyone else is as bad at it as I am and thus I'm always astonished when I'm recognised.

On the plus side, it seems to be related to being a precocious reader, and I had just about half-taught myself to read before Kindergarten, so there is that...

[rurallib]

10. I was an early and heavy reader also

out of context I almost have no clue many times. I know that friends feelings have been hurt or think I am arrogant. Actually I have been told many times over the years that I am standoffish when the truth is i have no clue who the person I am talking to is.

[Ron Obvious]

11. Your experience is the same as mine

I know that friends feelings have been hurt or think I am arrogant. Actually I have been told many times over the years that I am standoffish when the truth is i have no clue who the person I am talking to is.

That's exactly my experience. A lot of people think I'm standoffish as well. It even causes problems when watching TV or movies. I often have to ask my wife "now is that the same guy as the one in the beginning?", and she'll look like at me like I'm a moron and say "of course it is", or "of course not - it doesn't even look like him at all".

It's funny, but my she and I watch a lot of old TV series and we enjoy spotting well-known actors when they were young. She's much better at it than I am, of course, but sometimes I spot a face that she doesn't. Sometimes I'm completely wrong and there isn't even a resemblance to who I think it is (or at least no one else thinks so), but sometimes I spot one that nobody else does. We must notice different things about faces than ordinary people do.

[CommonSenseDemocrat]

14. I have face blindness too, quite embarrassed by it

[csziggy]

9. I only got two right - but I know I have face blindness

I simply do not recognize people especially out of context. It's been a problem all my life.

On the other hand when I was showing horses, I knew every horse in the class by name. I could never recognize the people holding them or riding them, but the horses I knew. I used to say it was a problem with priorities but then I realized that it was a real problem of not being able to recognize people's faces.

[NV Whino]

12. 7 right

Missed Kennedy and Beckham and whoever the black woman was. Even with a name I didn't known who she was.

[Duppers]

13. 7 out of 10 here too.

I missed the very same ones as you.

[Skittles]

15. I got 9 out of 10

heh, I guessed Rand Paul instead of Fred Astaire

[rurallib]

16. Many of those faces were from a time back

Amazed you could remember all them.

Obama was the only one I got and really had to study his face.

[Skittles]

20. the Obama pic was the hardest one I got right

I really had to study his face too

[KamaAina]

17. I didn't realize neurotypicals had this problem.

I thought it was strictly an Autistic thing.

[rurallib]

18. With you on that

I have had a problem since I was young, but didn't really realize how bad it was until I retired.
Before I could often figure out who I was talking to through context (where we were and what we were doing) and a few pointed questions (Haven't seen you for a while - what ya been doing?).

But context was kind of gone after retirement and especially so as we dropped from politics due to Mrs. Lib's health. And the BS questions have failed me several times.

Like you I thought this was a symptom of autism and as I got older possibly a sign of Alzheimer's. but my general memory seems good and once I figure out who the person is I can give a biography.

Nice to know I am not the only one.
In talking with one daughter this weekend I realized once I did not recognize my own mother out of context (in a store) when I was @19. And my daughter did catch the day I didn't recognize her about 20 years ago. I was able to recover from both of those incidents with some kidding around.

[Skittles]

21. just curious, rurallib

how well do you remember names? I *REALLY* suck at that.

[rurallib]

22. Actually fairly good if I can recognize a face

and put it in some kind of a context, such as work, politics, neighbor etc. I can usually sort it out fairly quickly
But if I can't recognize a face I got no chance.

[Skittles]

27. strange, we seem to be opposite

I have a devil of a time remembering names but faces, no problem

[rurallib]

29. that is strange

[arcane1]

26. Oliver Sacks had Prosopagnosia and wrote a bit about it.

I sometimes have a different phenomenon: I see people and think I recognize them, when I do not

[mackerel]

19. 7 out of 10...I never would have got Colbert

[Avalux]

23. I got all 10.

I've always been really good with faces though. I'm also an artist, don't know if that matters.

[rurallib]

24. bet you have a great eye for detail

I certainly don't know, but I would bet that being artistic sharpens certain abilities.

In contrast I am about as far from artistic as a person can be.

[Avalux]

25. I think so, I study everything visually and remember details.

I didn't even know face blindness was a thing, so thank you for teaching me something new!

[rurallib]

28. I didn't know about it until about 2 weeks ago

but thought there was something missing in my head all my life.

Just to add to my frustrations, my mother was a heavy drinker and smoker. I often wondered if that in some ways contributed to this problem. About a month ago I was telling my daughter about how frustrating it can be - I had just met someone at a gas station who knew me well, but I had no clue who he was. I mentioned then that I wondered if it could be somehow related to my mother's drinking and smoking.

Then about 2 weeks after that I heard a different story on face recognition problems and it was such a relief to hear I wasn't alone.

[magical thyme]

30. I don't need to test it. I suck. Big time. How big?

I ran into my boss at the beach. Knew he looked vaguely familiar. Couldn't place him to save my life.

Put a person into a different context and I'm clueless.