# Implicit Extraversion Face–Trait Judgements in Developmental Prosopagnosia

## TL;DR

People with developmental prosopagnosia can make implicit judgments about extraversion from faces, even though they struggle with face recognition.

## Contribution

This study is the first to show preserved implicit trait inference in developmental prosopagnosia using an IAT paradigm.

## Key findings

- Group-level IAT results showed sensitivity to face–trait pairings in individuals with DP.
- No participant scored significantly below the normative range in implicit trait judgments.
- Implicit trait inference appears independent of face identity recognition in DP.

## Abstract

What are the main findings?
Individuals with developmental prosopagnosia demonstrated intact implicit associations between extraversion face–trait judgements.Crawford modified t-tests indicated no evidence of below-norm performance at the single-case level.

Individuals with developmental prosopagnosia demonstrated intact implicit associations between extraversion face–trait judgements.

Crawford modified t-tests indicated no evidence of below-norm performance at the single-case level.

What are the implications of the main findings?
Implicit trait inference processes may operate independently of face identity recognition mechanisms.Social-evaluative aspects of face processing can remain preserved despite severe identity recognition impairments.

Implicit trait inference processes may operate independently of face identity recognition mechanisms.

Social-evaluative aspects of face processing can remain preserved despite severe identity recognition impairments.

Background/Objectives: Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by lifelong difficulties in face recognition. Although substantial work has examined identity-processing impairments in DP, less is known about whether these difficulties extend to other aspects of social cognition, including implicit trait judgements from faces. Prior research using Implicit Association Task (IAT) paradigms shows that neurotypical observers can automatically associate facial composites with personality traits such as extraversion. Although some studies report preserved explicit social evaluations in DP, to our knowledge, no previous work has assessed whether individuals with DP can form implicit personality trait impressions from faces. Methods: Using a cross-sectional experimental design, the present study examined whether adults with DP (N = 36) exhibit implicit extraversion trait associations, using a validated extraversion IAT online via Gorilla, following institutional ethics approval. Results: Group-level analyses showed a significant IAT effect, indicating sensitivity to congruent face–trait pairings. Single-case analyses using Crawford and Garthwaite’s modified t-test showed that no participant scored significantly below the normative neurotypical range. Conclusions: These findings indicate that implicit trait inference performance can remain within the normative range in DP despite severe identity recognition impairments, consistent with relative independence between social-evaluative and identity-related face-processing mechanisms.