New research from the University of Exeter highlights a significant challenge faced by members of Generation Z when it comes to recognizing faces of older individuals. The study, led by psychologist Ciro Civile, investigates a phenomenon known as the Own-Age Bias (OAB), which suggests that individuals are more adept at recognizing faces that resemble their own age group.
Researchers compared two distinct age groups: adults aged 19–30 and those aged 69–80. Participants were shown a series of unfamiliar faces and later tested on their ability to identify these faces from a larger array that included both new and previously seen images. Results indicated that younger adults excelled at identifying faces within their own age group but struggled significantly with faces of older adults. Conversely, older participants demonstrated equal accuracy in recognizing both younger and older faces.
According to Professor Ciro Civile, the disparity in recognition skills is attributed to the differences in life experiences rather than age-related prejudice. He noted that older adults have spent their lives interacting with people across various age groups, which enhances their ability to process and recognize different faces. “Since older participants have been young, they’ve developed the ability to process the information in younger faces and recognize them,” Civile explained.
To further explore the reasons behind these findings, the research team conducted an additional test using inverted images, where faces were shown upside down. In this scenario, neither age group displayed an advantage, suggesting that the OAB is a result of perceptual expertise that develops through exposure and practice. This finding underscores that the difficulty younger adults have with recognizing older faces is not rooted in conscious or unconscious bias, but in a lack of prior exposure.
The implications of this research extend into critical real-world scenarios, particularly in areas such as eyewitness testimony. Civile emphasized the importance of understanding these recognition challenges, as they can significantly impact the accuracy of identifying suspects in legal contexts. “Our findings suggest that expertise or training can improve recognition of differently aged individuals,” he stated, highlighting the potential for strategies to enhance intergenerational face recognition.
This study, published in the journal Perception, adds to the growing body of research exploring age-related biases in social interactions. As society becomes increasingly diverse in age, understanding these dynamics is essential for fostering effective communication and interaction across generations.
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Reference: Civile, C., & Wang, G. (2025). Testing the own-age bias in face recognition among younger and older adults via the Face Inversion Effect. Perception. https://doi.org/10.1177/03010066251405714
