Competition between face and nonface domains of expertise

Faces and nonface objects of expertise show similar behavioral and neural effects, but this does not mean that there is no domain specificity for faces-nonface objects of expertise may be processed in a system that is similar and neighboring to, but distinct from, a face-specific system. Because the face processing system has been shown to be capacity-limited, if face and nonface objects of expertise recruit overlapping resources, the concurrent processing of these items should be more vulnerable to capacity limitations relative to the simultaneous processing of face and nonface objects of nonexpertise. Results from behavioral and ERP interference paradigms suggest a functional overlap between face and nonface expert processing at the perceptual level that may have long-term consequences, although the precise neurofunctional mechanisms underlying this competition are still unknown.