In an experimental study, we assessed the role of motion when encoding and recognizing
unfamiliar faces, using an old/new recognition memory paradigm. Our findings revealed a
clear advantage for learning unfamiliar faces moving non‐rigidly, compared with static faces.
This advantage for motion was found with both same‐and other‐race faces. Furthermore,
results indicate that it is more important that the face is learnt in motion than recognized from
a moving clip. Interestingly, despite a reliable other‐race effect being revealed, participants …

We assess the role of motion when encoding and recognizing unfamiliar faces, using a
recognition memory paradigm. This reveals a facilitative role for non-rigid motion when
learning unfamiliar same and other-race faces, and indicate that it is more important that the
face is learned, rather than recognized, in motion. A computational study of the faces using
Appearance Models of facial variation, shows that this lack a motion effect at recognition was
reproduced by a norm-based encoding of faces, with the selection of features based on …