Face in the facade: How face-likeness modulates memory and neural representations

Evidence suggests that information represented more reliably in neural activity patterns across repeated exposures is more likely to be remembered. However, this relationship varies across category-selective regions of the ventral visual cortex. Specifically, for house stimuli neural reliability has been robustly linked to memory outcomes in the parahippocampal place area (PPA), but less consistently for faces in the fusiform face area (FFA). The reason for this mismatch is unknown. To address this discrepancy, we implemented a novel within-category manipulation by presenting highly face-like and non-face-like house stimuli during fMRI, followed by a memory test. Non-face-like houses were more likely to be remembered than face-like houses. Although face-likeness did not elicit face-selective responses in the FFA, representational reliability in ventral visual cortices, particularly in the FFA, showed an association with individual differences in memory performance. Finally, symmetry emerged as a potential perceptual factor underlying differences in mnemonic outcomes.