Jennifer Jarett, 38, from Manhattan never forgets a face. Not even someone she met for just a moment, not even decades later.
The psychologists calling it a “super-recognizer,” a new term for people who are exceptional at remembering faces.
“It’s sort of a weird thing to be able to do; my friends refer to me as their memory. People’s faces don’t really change to me, even people from my childhood. It’s as if they are cemented in my brain.” says Jarett.
According Dr. Richard Russell “Super-recognizers” actually see faces differently. “They can recognize people out of context, people who aren’t important to them, people who they may have met only briefly.” says Dr. Richard
For people with average ability for remembering people faces Dr. Jim Tanaka, a professor of psychology offers a few tips.
“Pay close attention to the movements of the face, the expressions, the different angles. Try to remember the structural aspects of the face instead of incidental surface features and don’t focus too much on details, but rather form an overall, holistic impression of a person’s face,” he says.
Jennifer Jarett hasn’t found any particular use for her skill, but the study says benefits might surface. For instance, airport security employees could be screened for their ability to recognize faces, and eyewitnesses to crimes could similarly be assessed.

For WC News from New York,
Alexander Mac Dougall

Filed under: Arts & Living