Role of Spatial Frequency Information in Face Recognition

We reviewed the studies which examined, by using various methods, how different spatial frequency contents contribute to face recognition. Pioneering studies suggested that low spatial frequency contents provide critical information for recognizing faces (Harmon, 1973; Ginsberg, 1980). Later studies, however, generally suggested that there is no specific range of spatial frequency being absolutely necessary for face recognition, and that a medium range of spatial frequency (approximately 6-20 cycles/face width) is more important for face recognition