TEST YOURSELF: Can you match the correct name to the face?

Publish Date
Wednesday, 1 March 2017, 11:09AM

Research has come out that says that most people can guess the name of a stranger with 40% accuracy.

The same research suggests that people grow to look more like their name, even if they aren't aware of it, they will change their hairstyle, clothing, and weight to fit their given name.

The researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem say that social norms and stereotypes have led to the majority of the population being able to guess names based on appearance. 

According to the lead-author Yonat Zwebner, the science is a lot easier than you would think.

"People are more likely to imagine a person named Bob to have a rounder face than a person named Tim."

They even found that a computer could score between 54 and 64 percent in tests after being programmed to recognise faces.

Do you think that you can reach the 40% average? Take our quiz below and see if you can distinguish a Sam from a Steve, or a Sally from a Susan.

 

Can you beat the researchers' computer algorithm top score of 64 per cent accuracy in matching the names of strangers to their faces?
Each correct match is worth 16.6 per cent. A score of 4/6 is a 66 per cent accuracy, beating the algorithm
The researchers claim that the parts of the human face involved in facial expressions - namely the eyes and the mouth - are the most important feature to face/name recognition
These features are important in how humans empathise with one another
The researchers claim that cultural stereotypes and norms that humans associate with names are key to humans' ability to match strangers' names to faces
Answers to the quiz are at the bottom of the page

Answers:

A - Phoebe
B - Harry
C - Stephen
D - Alice
E - Tim
F - Daisy 

 

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