Does animating virtual characters affect later face identity processing?

Abstract

Previous work from our group and others has demonstrated that learning a new face in the context of a dynamic head/body improves subsequent processing, relative to learning static snapshots (Knappmeyer, Thornton, & Bülthoff, 2003; Pilz, Thornton & Bülthoff, 2006). Here, we extend this work by asking whether computergenerated animations giving the impression of a live model (e.g., slight body sway, small changes in head posture, varied eye-contact) afford an advantage over a single static view of a virtual character. Participants were familiarized with two virtual characters using an incidental learning paradigm.