3 ms·

I hadn't really thought about this until my wife pointed it out to me a year or two ago but I apparently have "weirdly good" face and name recollection. My wife

I hadn't really thought about this until my wife pointed it out to me a year or two ago but I apparently have "weirdly good" face and name recollection. My wife on the other hand isn't all that good at it. Not bad but not great. I would say about average. I am also a very sociable and chatty person. I can and do chat to everyone. On the tube. On a plain. Waiting in a queue (I am British after all!). You name it I will chat to you. My wife on the other hand is a person who doesn't like to chat with people she doesn't know. She gets nervous striking up a conversation whereas I just start it without giving it a second thought. I have wondered if these are related? I am naturally very observant. I remember car reg plates, addresses and telephone numbers with ease. I can't remember if I trained myself to do this or it is just a natural ability. I suspect it is a little bit of both. Remembering IP addresses and directory structures in my early years and teens no doubt helped strengthen those skills. A couple of months back I did this test [0] and apparently got the 'super recogniser' title with ease. If you think you are good at remember small details it is quite a fun test! [0] https://jfe.qualtrics.com/form/SV_e3xDuCccGAdgbfT https://jfe.qualtrics.com/form/SV_e3xDuCccGAdgbfT

jstanley 11y ago
Wow! I'm surprised the later ones are even possible to do. The faces are shown at a completely different angle and with aspect ratio distorted, I don't know where to begin. Scored 7/14. Enjoyed it a surprising amount anyway.
- kozukumi 11y ago
  It is hard to explain but I can just understand the structure of the face and my brain can sort of automatically map that to a 3D model of their head. I don't even need to try and look for distinguishing marks. I just look at the face for a couple of seconds and that's it. Just retook the test, my results http://i.imgur.com/HwQs6XQ.png http://i.imgur.com/HwQs6XQ.png
  - Denzel 11y ago
    That's interesting, I feel the same way about faces. It just feels natural to me. I got a 13/14 on the first test you posted. Then I decided to take the extended test: - 37/40 (top 5%) upright face recognition - 27/32 (top 5%) inverted face recognition - 38/40 (top 25%) glasgow face matching - 32/40 (<top 50%) chair recognition test The results are very interesting. I don't know what to make of them. But these tests were fun nonetheless! Thanks kozukumi.
martin-adams 11y ago
I on the other hand am terrible at remembering names. Tell me your name and I'll forget it in 2 mins unless I make a conscious effort. Maybe that's laziness. For me, if I meet someone in the corridor who I am not too familiar with, I will not greet them by their name because I have no concrete way to validate I will be accurate that quickly. It's a valuable skill though. The more chatty and familiar you make yourself, the more people remember you.
Nadya 11y ago
That test was very interesting. I got 13/14 and I'm certain I know which one I got wrong, as I was torn between two options for only a single question. I've always been great with faces - but I'll forget someone's name in a matter of seconds. I'm not sociable at all and actively avoid all contact, going as far as to avoid dinner with my own mother. If that works as a data point against extrovert + facial recognition. I'd lean more towards observant - and it's something I actively trained myself in. Always remember small details, as they can often be the most important and distinguishing ones.

jstanley 11y ago

Wow! I'm surprised the later ones are even possible to do. The faces are shown at a completely different angle and with aspect ratio distorted, I don't know where to begin. Scored 7/14. Enjoyed it a surprising amount anyway.

kozukumi 11y ago
It is hard to explain but I can just understand the structure of the face and my brain can sort of automatically map that to a 3D model of their head. I don't even need to try and look for distinguishing marks. I just look at the face for a couple of seconds and that's it. Just retook the test, my results http://i.imgur.com/HwQs6XQ.png http://i.imgur.com/HwQs6XQ.png
- Denzel 11y ago
  That's interesting, I feel the same way about faces. It just feels natural to me. I got a 13/14 on the first test you posted. Then I decided to take the extended test: - 37/40 (top 5%) upright face recognition - 27/32 (top 5%) inverted face recognition - 38/40 (top 25%) glasgow face matching - 32/40 (<top 50%) chair recognition test The results are very interesting. I don't know what to make of them. But these tests were fun nonetheless! Thanks kozukumi.

martin-adams 11y ago

I on the other hand am terrible at remembering names. Tell me your name and I'll forget it in 2 mins unless I make a conscious effort. Maybe that's laziness. For me, if I meet someone in the corridor who I am not too familiar with, I will not greet them by their name because I have no concrete way to validate I will be accurate that quickly. It's a valuable skill though. The more chatty and familiar you make yourself, the more people remember you.

Nadya 11y ago

That test was very interesting. I got 13/14 and I'm certain I know which one I got wrong, as I was torn between two options for only a single question. I've always been great with faces - but I'll forget someone's name in a matter of seconds. I'm not sociable at all and actively avoid all contact, going as far as to avoid dinner with my own mother. If that works as a data point against extrovert + facial recognition. I'd lean more towards observant - and it's something I actively trained myself in. Always remember small details, as they can often be the most important and distinguishing ones.