Forensic specialists need only one or two facial features to identify individuals
Researchers led by Carina Hahn at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S., have found that forensic specialists in facial identification need only one or two features, such as eyes or ears, to identify a face when looking for a match. Published in PLOS One, the study found that specialists find ears to be the most useful but are capable of adapting when recognizing that…
Forensic specialists can identify individuals with just one or two facial features, according to a study led by Carina Hahn from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Researchers found that ears were the most helpful feature for identification, but experts were adept at adapting to use other features if necessary.
In the study, specialists were shown side-by-side photos of two faces, with one hidden, and asked to identify which face matched the hidden one. Accuracy averaged 90% correct using just one or two features. Forensic specialists were able to identify faces after seeing only one or two features, with ears and foreheads being the most informative.
Necks and chins were least helpful. While ears were most frequently chosen, other features were selected based on their differences between the faces. The findings show that specialists can accurately judge identity from minimal facial information, highlighting the importance of this ability for both training and machine learning algorithms.
However, the study's conditions were artificial and the findings may not generalize to different populations or image sets.
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