Papers

29 Aug 2026 Ventura, M., Grootswagers, T., Cottier, T., et al. (2026). Robust neural face identity codes in the Super-Recogniser brain. bioRxiv.

New paper by PhD Student Martina Ventura as part of collaboration with MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development

20 Aug 2026 Ventura, M., Grootswagers, T., Varlet, M., Dunn, J. D., White, D., & Quek, G. L. (2026). Enhanced neural encoding of individual exemplars in the Super-Recogniser brain is specific to faces. bioRxiv.

New paper by PhD Student Martina Ventura as part of collaboration with MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development

Phillips, P. J., & White, D. (2026). The state of modelling face processing in humans with deep learning. British Journal of Psychology, 117(2), 656–676.

Dunn, J. D., White, D., Sutherland, C. A., Miller, E. J., Steward, B. A., & Dawel, A. (2026). Too good to be true: Synthetic AI faces are more average than real faces and super-recognizers know it. British Journal of Psychology.

Ventura, M., Grootswagers, T., Cottier, T., et al. (2026). Robust neural face identity codes in the Super-Recogniser brain. bioRxiv.

Ventura, M., Grootswagers, T., Varlet, M., Dunn, J. D., White, D., & Quek, G. L. (2026). Enhanced neural encoding of individual exemplars in the Super-Recogniser brain is specific to faces. bioRxiv.

White, D. (2025). What is special about super-recognisers?. OSF.

Dunn, J. D., Miellet, S., & White, D. (2025). Information sampling differences supporting superior face identity processing ability. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 32(2), 801–811.

Popovic, B., Dunn, J. D., Towler, A., & White, D. (2025). Normative face recognition ability test scores vary across online participant pools. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 8805.

Dunn, J., Varela, V., Popovic, B., Summersby, S., Miellet, S., & White, D. (2025). Super-recognisers sample visual information of superior computational value for facial recognition. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 292(2058).

Dunn, J. D., Towler, A., Popovic, B., et al. (2024). Flexible use of facial features supports face identity processing.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 50(12), 1143.

Varela, V. P., Towler, A., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2023). Looking at faces in the wild. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 783.

Tyler, R., Towler, A., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2023). Let's talk about faces: Identifying faces from verbal descriptions. British Journal of Psychology, 114(1), 262–281.

Dunn, J. D., Towler, A., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2023). Selecting police super-recognisers. PLoS One, 18(5), e0283682.

Towler, A., Dunn, J. D., Castro Martinez, S., et al. (2023). Diverse types of expertise in facial recognition. Scientific reports, 13(1), 11396.

Dunn, J., & White, D. (2023). Using face averages to measure differential accuracy for demographic groups in facial recognition. OSF.

White, D., Guilbert, D., Varela, V. P., Jenkins, R., & Burton, A. M. (2022). GFMT2: A psychometric measure of face matching ability. Behavior research methods, 54(1), 252–260.

White, D., & Burton, A. M. (2022). Individual differences and the multidimensional nature of face perception. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(5), 287–300.

Carragher, D. J., Towler, A., Mileva, V. R., White, D., & Hancock, P. J. (2022). Masked face identification is improved by diagnostic feature training. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 7(1), 30.

Summersby, S., Harris, B., Denson, T. F., & White, D. (2022). Tracking sexual dimorphism of facial width-to-height ratio across the lifespan: Implications for perceived aggressiveness. Royal Society Open Science, 9(5), 211500.

Dunn, J. D., Varela, V. P., Nicholls, V. I., Papinutto, M., White, D., & Miellet, S. (2022). Face-information sampling in super-recognizers. Psychological Science, 33(9), 1615–1630.

Trinh, A., Dunn, J. D., & White, D. (2022). Verifying unfamiliar identities: Effects of processing name and face information in the same identity-matching task. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 7(1), 92.

White, D., Wayne, T., & Varela, V. (2022). Partitioning natural face image variability emphasises within-identity over between-identity representation for understanding accurate recognition. Cognition, 219(104966).

Towler, A., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2021). Can face identification ability be trained. Forensic face matching: Research and practice, 89.

Jones, B. C., DeBruine, L. M., Flake, J. K., et al. (2021). To which world regions does the valence–dominance model of social perception apply?. Nature human behaviour, 5(1), 159–169.

Dunn, J. D., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2021). Top-down influences on working memory representations of faces: Evidence from dual-target visual search. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 17470218211014357.

Towler, A., Keshwa, M., Ton, B., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2021). Diagnostic feature training improves face matching accuracy.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 47(8), 1288.

Kemp, R. I., Edmond, G., & White, D. (2021). A proposed solution to the problem of identifying people from CCTV and other images. Methods, measures, and theories in eyewitness identification tasks, 13–33.

Ritchie, K. L., Cartledge, C., Growns, B., et al. (2021). Public attitudes towards the use of automatic facial recognition technology in criminal justice systems around the world. PloS one, 16(10), e0258241.

Edmond, G., White, D., Towler, A., San Roque, M., & Kemp, R. (2021). Facial recognition and image comparison evidence: Identification by investigators, familiars, experts, super-recognisers and algorithms. Melbourne University Law Review, 45(1), 99–160.

Smith, H. M., Andrews, S., Baguley, T. S., et al. (2021). Performance of typical and superior face recognizers on a novel interactive face matching procedure. British Journal of Psychology, 112(4), 964–991.

Dunn, J. D., Nicholls, V. I., Papinutto, M., Varela, V. P., White, D., & Miellet, S. (2021). Visual information sampling of faces by super-recognisers. Journal of Vision, 21(9), 2327–2327.

White, D., Towler, A., Kemp, R. I., et al. (2021). Human oversight of Facial Recognition Technology in forensic applications. Unpublished manuscript.

Dunn, J. D., Summersby, S., Towler, A., Davis, J. P., & White, D. (2020). UNSW Face Test: A screening tool for super-recognizers. PloS one, 15(11), e0241747.

White, D., Towler, A., & Kemp, R. I. (2020). Understanding professional expertise in unfamiliar face matching. Forensic Face Matching: Research and Practice, 62–88.

White, D., Towler, A., Jeffery, L., et al. (2020). Evaluating Face Identification Expertise: Turning Theory into Practice. Digested Analysis. Ealuating Face Identification Expertise: Turning Theory into Practice.

Awad, D., Clifford, C. W., White, D., & Mareschal, I. (2020). Asymmetric contextual effects in age perception. Royal Society Open Science, 7(12), 200936.

White, D., & Kemp, R. (2019). Identifying people from images. Improving the criminal justice system: Perspectives from psychological science, 2.

Towler, A., Kemp, R. I., Burton, A. M., et al. (2019). Do professional facial image comparison training courses work?. PloS one, 14(2), e0211037.

Ramon, M., Bobak, A. K., & White, D. (2019). Super-recognizers: From the lab to the world and back again. British journal of psychology, 110(3), 461–479.

Dunn, J. D., Ritchie, K. L., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2019). Familiarity does not inhibit image-specific encoding of faces.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 45(7), 841.

Towler, A., Kemp, R. I., Bruce, V., Burton, A. M., Dunn, J., & White, D. (2019). Are face recognition abilities in humans and sheep really ‘comparable’?. Royal Society open science, 6(1), 180772.

Ramon, M., Bobak, A. K., & White, D. (2019). Towards a ‘manifesto’ for super-recognizer research. British Journal of Psychology, 110(3), 495–498.

Awad, D., Clifford, C., White, D., & Mareschal, I. (2019). Age Judgements of Faces: Evidence for Ensemble Averaging. PERCEPTION, 48, 138–138.

Phillips, P. J., Yates, A. N., Hu, Y., et al. (2018). Face recognition accuracy of forensic examiners, superrecognizers, and face recognition algorithms. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(24), 6171–6176.

Menon, N., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2018). More than a sum of parts: robust face recognition by integrating variation. Royal Society Open Science, 5(5), 172381.

Balsdon, T., Summersby, S., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2018). Improving face identification with specialist teams. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 3(1), 25.

Towler, A., White, D., Ballantyne, K., Searston, R. A., Martire, K. A., & Kemp, R. I. (2018). Are forensic scientists experts?. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 7(2), 199.

Ritchie, K. L., White, D., Kramer, R. S., Noyes, E., Jenkins, R., & Burton, A. M. (2018). Enhancing CCTV: Averages improve face identification from poor-quality images. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 32(6), 671–680.

Clifford, C. W., Watson, T. L., & White, D. (2018). Two sources of bias explain errors in facial age estimation. Royal Society open science, 5(10), 180841.

Dunn, J. D., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2018). Search templates that incorporate within-face variation improve visual search for faces. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 3(1), 37.

Afrooz, A., White, D., & Parolin, B. (2018). Effects of active and passive exploration of the built environment on memory during wayfinding. Applied Geography, 101, 68–74.

White, D., Rivolta, D., Burton, A. M., Al-Janabi, S., & Palermo, R. (2017). Face matching impairment in developmental prosopagnosia. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70(2), 287–297.

Edmond, G., Towler, A., Growns, B., et al. (2017). Thinking forensics: Cognitive science for forensic practitioners. Science & Justice, 57(2), 144–154.

White, D., Norell, K., Phillips, P. J., & O'Toole, A. J. (2017). Human factors in forensic face identification. Handbook of biometrics for forensic science, 195–218.

Towler, A., White, D., & Kemp, R. I. (2017). Evaluating the feature comparison strategy for forensic face identification. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 23(2), 47–58.

Hu, Y., Jackson, K., Yates, A., White, D., Phillips, P. J., & O'Toole, A. J. (2017). Person recognition: Qualitative differences in how forensic face examiners and untrained people rely on the face versus the body for identification. Visual Cognition, 25(4-6), 492–506.

White, D., Sutherland, C. A., & Burton, A. L. (2017). Choosing face: The curse of self in profile image selection. Cognitive research: principles and implications, 2(1), 23.

Towler, A., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2017). Unfamiliar face matching systems in applied settings. Face Processing: Systems, Disorders and Cultural Differences (Nova Science Publishing).

White, D., Burton, A. L., & Kemp, R. I. (2016). Not looking yourself: The cost of self-selecting photographs for identity verification. British journal of psychology, 107(2), 359–373.

Edmond, G., Found, B., Martire, K., et al. (2016). Model forensic science. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 48(5), 496–537.

Kemp, R., & White, D. (2016). Face Identification. An introduction to applied cognitive psychology, 2, 39–70.

Beattie, L., Walsh, D., McLaren, J., Biello, S. M., & White, D. (2016). Perceptual impairment in face identification with poor sleep. Royal Society Open Science, 3(10), 160321.

Menon, N., White, D., & Kemp, R. I. (2015). Identity-level representations affect unfamiliar face matching performance in sequential but not simultaneous tasks. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 68(9), 1777–1793.

Ritchie, K. L., Smith, F. G., Jenkins, R., Bindemann, M., White, D., & Burton, A. M. (2015). Viewers base estimates of face matching accuracy on their own familiarity: Explaining the photo-ID paradox. Cognition, 141, 161–169.

White, D., Phillips, P. J., Hahn, C. A., Hill, M., & O'Toole, A. J. (2015). Perceptual expertise in forensic facial image comparison. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282(1814), 1814–1822.

Menon, N., White, D., & Kemp, R. I. (2015). Variation in photos of the same face drives improvements in identity verification. Perception, 44(11), 1332–1341.

White, D., Dunn, J. D., Schmid, A. C., & Kemp, R. I. (2015). Error Rates in Users of Automatic Face Recognition Software. PLOS ONE, 10(10), e0139827.

White, D., Kemp, R. I., Jenkins, R., & Burton, A. M. (2014). Feedback training for facial image comparison. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 21(1), 100–106.

Towler, A., White, D., & Kemp, R. I. (2014). Evaluating training methods for facial image comparison: The face shape strategy does not work. Perception, 43(2), 214–218.

White, D., Burton, A. M., Jenkins, R., & Kemp, R. I. (2014). Redesigning photo-ID to improve unfamiliar face matching performance.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 20(2), 166–173.

White, D., Kemp, R. I., Jenkins, R., Matheson, M., & Burton, A. M. (2014). Passport officers' errors in face matching. PLOS ONE, 9(8), e103510.

Caltenco, H. (2014). Which visual cues are important in way-finding? Measuring the influence of travel mode on visual memory for built environments. Universal Design 2014: Three Days of Creativity and Diversity: Proceedings of the International Conference on Universal Design, UD 2014 Lund, Sweden, June 16-18, 2014, 35, 394.

Afrooz, A., White, D., & Neuman, M. (2014). Way-Finding Improves Visual Memory for Built Environments.. ET4S@ GIScience, 57–61.

Frowd, C. D., White, D., Kemp, R. I., Jenkins, R., Nawaz, K., & Herold, K. (2014). Constructing faces from memory: the impact of image likeness and prototypical representations. Journal of Forensic Practice, 16(4), 243–256.

Edmond, G., Martire, K., Kemp, R., et al. (2014). How to cross-examine forensic scientists: a guide for lawyers. Australian Bar Review, 39(174).

Sandford, A., Burton, A., & White, D. (2013). Transparency of geometric distortions in face identity. i-Perception, 4(7), 480–480.

White, D., Burton, A. M., Kemp, R. I., & Jenkins, R. (2013). Crowd effects in unfamiliar face matching. Applied cognitive psychology, 27(6), 769–777.

Tangen, J., Grove, P., Spehar, B., Kemp, R., & White, D. (2013). The Reserve Bank of Australia security feature perception study report. The Reserve Bank of Australia.

Strathie, A., McNeill, A., & White, D. (2012). In the dock: Chimeric image composites reduce identification accuracy. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 26(1), 140–148.

Megreya, A. M., White, D., & Burton, A. M. (2011). The other-race effect does not rely on memory: Evidence from a matching task. Quarterly journal of experimental psychology, 64(8), 1473–1483.

Jenkins, R., White, D., Van Montfort, X., & Burton, A. M. (2011). Variability in photos of the same face. Cognition, 121(3), 313–323.

Burton, A. M., White, D., & McNeill, A. (2010). The Glasgow face matching test. Behavior research methods, 42(1), 286–291.

White, D. (2008). Cognitive representation of facial asymmetry. University of Glasgow.

Jenkins, R., Burton, A. M., & White, D. (2006). Face recognition from unconstrained images: Progress with prototypes. 7th international conference on automatic face and gesture recognition (FGR06), 25–30.

Burton, A. M., Jenkins, R., Hancock, P. J., & White, D. (2005). Robust representations for face recognition: The power of averages. Cognitive Psychology, 51(3), 256–284.

White, D., Piggott, M., Wissmann, G., & Burton, M. (n.d.). Evidence for quantitative, rather than qualitative differences between familiar and unfamiliar face processing. Available at SSRN 6438880.