Final answer:
Face recognition starts with sensory processing but involves higher-order cognitive processing based on Gestalt principles, which means interpreting faces is more than just the sensory information received.
Step-by-step explanation:
The discussion about face recognition indicates that we recognize faces using the Gestalt principles, suggesting that the process is more complex than just sensory processing. Gestalt theory argues that our brain organizes sensory information into meaningful patterns or wholes, which exceed the mere sum of individual sensory inputs. This means that while face recognition begins with the collection of sensory data, like lines, colors, and light from the primary visual cortex, our perception does not rely solely on these sensations.
Indeed, perceptual hypotheses and our perceptual set, shaped by past experiences and expectations, influence our recognition of faces. We may make educated guesses, or inferences, to comprehend ambiguous or complex visual stimuli. Hence, face recognition involves higher-order cognitive processes that integrate sensory data with these hypotheses to form a coherent understanding of the face being observed.
In sum, while sensory processing is the starting point for face recognition in the visual cortex, the subsequent interpretation involves complex cognitive processing that is based on the Gestalt principles.