Are you a super recogniser?

[MMATycoon]

 

I am good generally at recognising faces but that is over a longer elapsed period of time (say I meet someone at a party 6-7 years ago, chances are if I seen them now I could tell you who they are); that had nothing to do with the way I done the test. I just chose a simple technique that can be taught to a child when doing a spot the difference challenge and for the most part it worked. I wasn't memorizing faces, I could do the exact same technique for a painting, picture of a busy street etc. I mean I know the distinguishing feature is a police technique, but it is also something you can teach a kid as I said to do a spot the difference quiz.

 

The test as a whole just reeks of some click bait for some psychology experiment who were looking for volunteers. I mean you did Psych, you must remember how much of a pain in the arse it was to get people to take part in your experiments. If I was to say personally what I would use the test for is for a sociological experiment. "How much time will people waste in order to believe they are super at something". I mean you add super in front of any title and everyone wants to see if they make the cut. The reason I believe this? Well this quote sorta set the alarm bells ringing in my head. It is the same with everything research wise. It also said during the article that it was police officers with an ability to spot faces. It appears it is just a job title given to a team who have amazing focus and watch CCTV footage all day.

 

"If you do really well there's the option of going to the University of Greenwich for further testing, this is to help academic research, you won't be recruited by the police."

 

 

The researchers didn't come up with the term super recogniser - that's a term that's been in place for ages.

 

What you say about using the same techniques for other stuff like pictures is absolutely right but I don't see why that negates the relevance of the concept. Basically I just think you're being a grump

[stpierrecanada]

You scored 10 out of 14

[MMATycoon]

Just did the long test. "Please complete this test when you are fully alert as we are measuring peak performance"... So I did it at 2.30am with the flu, sipping a lemsip

 

It says if you put your email as your ID they send you the results so I did that. Nothing through yet though so I guess it's manual.

[PBR]

You scored 10 out of 14

 

 

 

 

 

thats what i got -- some of the pics are really screwed up though

[Leland]

Super recogniser basically just means that you're shit hot at remembering people's faces. It's something that I'm quite interested in cos I'm one. I actually contacted my local police force to see if they wanted any help with anything, after seeing an article on super recognisers in the London police force but the Leeds police had no idea what I was talking about.

 

Anyway, I just saw another article about super recognisers on the BBC website tonight, which had a test attached to it;

Article here

Test here

 

I got 13 out of 14 which was a bit annoying. Got the last one wrong cos I wasn't really paying attention.

 

Thought it would be interesting to post it here and see how you guys did. It's a 5 minute test at first then if you're any good (over 10/14), you get a link to a 20 minute test. I'm gunna have a crack at that one tomorrow.

 

Super interesting. Never thought it was a type of classification or skill set. I usually see someones face and if I've seen them before, I'm like.. wait, I know you. Counter side is I'm bad with names.

[Madness]

13/14

[Leland]

I only got 12/14... Thought I aced it.

[shockg]

 

Interesting cos that all applies to me too. I did psychology as an elective at uni, stay up till stupid oclock every night and can never remember names.... I dunno why but when people tell me their names, I basically just don't listen.

 

How do you reckon you do it then? It said in that article that most people don't really know how they do it but I'd say I'm looking mostly at the spacing of facial features first. In general though, I just think it's a photographic memory type thing. I also had a funny incident at a pub quiz years ago in a pictures round (guessing celebrity faces). My missus thought it was Eva Longoria but I was like

"nah, I think it's someone called Kate Beckinsale."

"who's she?"

"I dunno. I couldn't even tell you what she looks like."

 

I honestly had no idea what she looked like or who she was but this picture just sort of triggered something in my brain. Obviously it was her, otherwise I wouldn't have told the story

 

Can you also do it with voices? I can always tell who's talking on the radio, with interviews of obscure people etc.

 

BTW, I know it's tricky to make up a test like this but showing you a face quickly isn't really the point as a super recogniser. It's about long term recalling of faces, not quick remembering.... Related I suppose but will be interesting to see what difference there is in the long test.

I recognize faces subconsciously. I can't explain the brain feeling. I just know.

 

As for remembering names. It is just like memorizing anything else. Repetiton. I've forgotten the names of my own godchildren when I haven't seen them in a while.

[Leland]

Yeah. I definitely agree... Names are something you have to hear and say a bunch to really get it in the brain.

[TheDude]

I got 12 / 14.

[Victorio]

11/14. Cross-race effect can't do anything to me lol

[JST1151971]

Thank you for your participation. You scored 9 out of 14.

 

So close...

[clydebankblitz]

11/14

 

I'm not too bad cause I make fun of people a lot. So the guy with the glasses I called "Agent Smith" due to his droopy cheeks and one dude had a spot so obviously he was called Spotty McLefteyerson.

 

Hard when the pictures are so badly cut. Like I can't get a proper idea of someone's profile from the front because the hairstyle is cut off with some.