Fig. 3.

Experiment 2. (Left) Images in each stimulus block were from the same face or alternated between two different face images that varied in identity and expression. Same and different blocks were presented in (A) positive, (B) negative and (C) positive/negative contrast. (Right) Response in face-selective regions identified with an independent functional localiser scan to the same and different faces for each contrast condition. The results show that the pSTS was insensitive to the contrast polarity of the faces, showing a significantly bigger response to the different faces compared to the same faces across all contrast conditions. Conversely, a significantly bigger response to the different faces than same face blocks in the FFA was only evident when faces were in contrast positive. Critically, the pSTS shows adaptation even in the mixed positive–negative condition, whereas this completely eliminates adaptation in the FFA. † = p < 0.1,* = p < 0.05, ** = p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.