Professor Sarah Bate
- 01202 961918
- sbate at bournemouth dot ac dot uk
- http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5484-8195
- Interim Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange
- Poole House P112, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB
- Keywords:
- Cognitive neuropsychology
- Psychology
Biography
I completed a BSc in Psychology at the University of Exeter in 2004, and stayed at Exeter to study a MSc in Psychological Research Methods (awarded in 2005). I also completed my PhD at Exeter in 2009, examining visual scanning patterns in developmental prosopagnosia. After completion of my PhD, I worked as a postdoctoral research fellow for Professor Janice Kay for one year, before moving to Bournemouth in January 2010.
Research
I am a lead researcher in the Centre for Face Processing Disorders at Bournemouth, and author of the book 'Face Recognition and its Disorders' (Palgrave-Macmillan). My current work examines the nature of face-processing impairments in adults and children with developmental or acquired forms of prosopagnosia (face blindness). Much of my existing research has used eye-movement technology to inform this issue. In addition to providing theoretical insights into the nature of prosopagnosia and its potential sub-classification, this work is aiding the development of potential remediation techniques that may be useful in a variety of acquired and neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by face-processing impairments.
Favourites
- Bate, S., Cook, S.J., Duchaine, B., Tree, J.J., Burns, E.J. and Hodgson, T.L., 2014. Intranasal inhalation of oxytocin improves face processing in developmental prosopagnosia. Cortex, 50, 55-63.
- Bennetts, R., Bate, S., Cook, S., Duchaine, B., Tree, J., Burns, E. and Hodgson, T., 2013. Intranasal Inhalation of Oxytocin Improves Face Processing in Developmental Prosopagnosia. PERCEPTION, 42, 78.
- Bate, S., 2012. Face Recognition and its Disorders. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Bate, S., Parris, B., Haslam, C. and Kay, J., 2010. Socio-Emotional Functioning and Face Recognition Ability in the Normal Population. Personality and Individual Differences, 48, 239-242.
- Bate, S., Haslam, C., Tree, J.J. and Hodgson, T.L., 2008. Evidence of an eye movement-based memory effect in congenital prosopagnosia. Cortex, 44, 806-819.
Journal Articles
- Bate, S., Portch, E., Bennetts, R.J. and Parris, B.A., 2025. A taxometric analysis of developmental prosopagnosia: Evidence for a categorically distinct impairment. Cortex, 183, 131-145.
- Bennetts, R.J., Gregory, N.J. and Bate, S., 2024. Both identity and non-identity face perception tasks predict developmental prosopagnosia and face recognition ability. Scientific Reports, 14 (1).
- Attard-Johnson, J., Dark, O., Murray, E. and Bate, S., 2024. Different facets of age perception in people with developmental prosopagnosia and “super-recognisers”. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 9 (1).
- Yovel, G., Bash, E. and Bate, S., 2024. Humans' extreme face recognition abilities challenge the well-established familiarity effect. Cognition, 251.
- Bate, S., Murray, E. and Bennetts, R.J., 2024. Familial Transmission of Developmental Prosopagnosia: New Case Reports from an Extended Family and Identical Twins. Brain Sciences, 14 (1).
- Bobak, A.K., Jones, A.L., Hilker, Z., Mestry, N., Bate, S. and Hancock, P.J.B., 2023. Data-driven studies in face identity processing rely on the quality of the tests and data sets. Cortex, 166, 348-364.
- Portch, E., Wignall, L. and Bate, S., 2023. Why can people with developmental prosopagnosia recognise some familiar faces? Insights from subjective experience. PeerJ, 11.
- Bennetts, R.J., Johnson Humphrey, P., Zielinska, P. and Bate, S., 2022. Face masks versus sunglasses: limited effects of time and individual differences in the ability to judge facial identity and social traits. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 7 (1).
- Stantić, M., Pounder, Z., Bate, S., Susilo, T., Catmur, C. and Bird, G., 2022. Individuals with developmental prosopagnosia show independent impairments in face perception, face memory and face matching. Cortex, 157, 266-273.
- Murray, E., Bennetts, R., Tree, J. and Bate, S., 2022. An update of the Benton Facial Recognition Test. Behavior Research Methods, 54 (5), 2318-2333.
- Bennetts, R.J., Gregory, N.J., Tree, J., Di Bernardi Luft, C., Banissy, M.J., Murray, E., Penton, T. and Bate, S., 2022. Face specific inversion effects provide evidence for two subtypes of developmental prosopagnosia. Neuropsychologia, 174.
- Stantic, M., Brewer, R., Duchaine, B., Banissy, M.J., Bate, S., Susilo, T., Catmur, C. and Bird, G., 2022. The Oxford Face Matching Test: A non-biased test of the full range of individual differences in face perception. Behavior Research Methods, 54 (1), 158-173.
- Bate, S., Dalrymple, K. and Bennetts, R.J., 2022. Face recognition improvements in adults and children with face recognition difficulties. Brain Communications, 4 (2).
- Abudarham, N., Bate, S., Duchaine, B. and Yovel, G., 2021. Developmental prosopagnosics and super recognizers rely on the same facial features used by individuals with normal face recognition abilities for face identification. Neuropsychologia, 160.
- Bate, S., Mestry, N., Atkinson, M., Bennetts, R.J. and Hills, P.J., 2021. Birthweight predicts individual differences in adult face recognition ability. British Journal of Psychology, 112 (3), 628-644.
- Bate, S., Portch, E. and Mestry, N., 2021. When Two Fields Collide: Identifying "Super-Recognisers" for Neuropsychological and Forensic Face Recognition Research. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.
- Adams, A., Hills, P.J., Bennetts, R.J. and Bate, S., 2020. Coping strategies for developmental prosopagnosia. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 30 (10), 1996-2015.
- Bate, S. and Murray, E., 2020. Diagnosing developmental prosopagnosia: repeat assessment using the Cambridge Face Memory Test. Royal Society Open Science, 7.
- Bate, S., Bennetts, R., Murray, E. and Portch, E., 2020. Enhanced Matching of Children’s Faces in “Super-Recognisers” But Not High-Contact Controls. i-Perception, 11 (4).
- Bate, S., Adams, A. and Bennetts, R.J., 2020. Guess Who? Facial Identity Discrimination Training Improves Face Memory in Typically Developing Children. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 149 (5), 901-913.
- Bate, S., Bennetts, R.J., Tree, J.J., Adams, A. and Murray, E., 2019. The domain-specificity of face matching impairments in 40 cases of developmental prosopagnosia. Cognition, 192.
- Bate, S., Adams, A., Bennetts, R. and Line, H., 2019. Developmental prosopagnosia with concurrent topographical difficulties: A case report and virtual reality training programme. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 29 (8), 1290-1312.
- Bate, S., Frowd, C., Bennetts, R., Hasshim, N., Portch, E., Murray, E. and Dudfield, G., 2019. The consistency of superior face recognition skills in police officers. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 33 (5), 828-842.
- Bate, S., Portch, E., Mestry, N. and Bennetts, R.J., 2019. Redefining super recognition in the real world: Skilled face or person identity recognizers? British Journal of Psychology, 110 (3), 480-482.
- Murray, E. and Bate, S., 2019. Self-ratings of face recognition ability are influenced by gender but not prosopagnosia severity. Psychological Assessment, 31 (6), 828-832.
- Bate, S., Bennetts, R.J., Gregory, N., Tree, J.J., Murray, E., Adams, A., Bobak, A.K., Penton, T., Yang, T. and Banissy, M.J., 2019. Objective patterns of face recognition deficits in 165 adults with self-reported developmental prosopagnosia. Brain Sciences, 9 (6).
- Bate, S., Bennetts, R., Hasshim, N., Portch, E., Murray, E., Burns, E. and Dudfield, G., 2019. The limits of super recognition: An other-ethnicity effect in individuals with extraordinary face recognition skills. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 45 (3), 363-377.
- Bate, S. and Dudfield, G., 2019. Subjective assessment for super recognition: An evaluation of self-report methods in civilian and police participants. PeerJ, 2019 (1).
- Hasshim, N., Downes, M., Bate, S. and Parris, B.A., 2019. Response Time Distribution Analysis of Semantic and Response Interference in a Manual Response Stroop Task. Experimental Psychology, 66 (3), 231-238.
- Murray, E., Hills, P.J., Bennetts, R.J. and Bate, S., 2018. Identifying Hallmark Symptoms of Developmental Prosopagnosia for Non-Experts. Scientific Reports, 8 (1).
- Bate, S., Frowd, C., Bennetts, R., Hasshim, N., Murray, E., Bobak, A.K., Wills, H. and Richards, S., 2018. Applied screening tests for the detection of superior face recognition. Cogn Res Princ Implic, 3, 22.
- Penton, T., Bate, S., Dalrymple, K.A., Reed, T., Kelly, M., Godovich, S., Tamm, M., Duchaine, B. and Banissy, M.J., 2018. Using high frequency transcranial random noise stimulation to modulate face memory performance in younger and older adults: Lessons learnt from mixed findings. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12 (NOV).
- Burns, E.J., Bennetts, R.J., Bate, S., Wright, V.C., Weidemann, C.T. and Tree, J.J., 2017. Intact word processing in developmental prosopagnosia. Scientific Reports, 7 (1).
- Bennetts, R.J., Mole, J. and Bate, S., 2017. Super-recognition in development: A case study of an adolescent with extraordinary face recognition skills. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 34 (6), 357-376.
- Bobak, A.K., Parris, B.A., Gregory, N.J., Bennetts, R.J. and Bate, S., 2017. Eye-movement strategies in developmental prosopagnosia and “super” face recognition. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70 (2), 201-217.
- Bennetts, R.J., Murray, E., Boyce, T. and Bate, S., 2017. Prevalence of face recognition deficits in middle childhood. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70 (2), 234-258.
- Bate, S. and Tree, J.J., 2017. The definition and diagnosis of developmental prosopagnosia. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70 (2), 193-200.
- Bobak, A.K., Pampoulov, P. and Bate, S., 2016. Detecting superior face recognition skills in a large sample of young British adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 7 (SEP).
- Bobak, A.K., Bennetts, R.J., Parris, B.A., Jansari, A. and Bate, S., 2016. An in-depth cognitive examination of individuals with superior face recognition skills. Cortex, 82, 48-62.
- Bobak, A.K., Dowsett, A.J. and Bate, S., 2016. Solving the border control problem: Evidence of enhanced face matching in individuals with extraordinary face recognition skills. PLoS ONE, 11 (2).
- Bobak, A.K., Bennetts, R.J., Parris, B.A., Jansari, A. and Bate, S., 2016. Corrigendum to "An in-depth cognitive examination of individuals with superior face recognition skills" [Cortex 82 (2016) 48-62]. Cortex.
- Bennetts, R.J., Butcher, N., Lander, K., Udale, R. and Bate, S., 2015. Movement cues aid face recognition in developmental prosopagnosia. Neuropsychology, 29 (6), 855-860.
- Bate, S., Bennetts, R., Parris, B.A., Bindemann, M., Udale, R. and Bussunt, A., 2015. Oxytocin increases bias, but not accuracy, in face recognition line-ups. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 10 (7), 1010-1014.
- Gregory, N., Lopez, B., Graham, G., Marshman, P., Bate, S. and Kargas, N., 2015. Reduced Gaze Following and Attention to Heads when Viewing a "Live" Social Scene. PLoS One, 10 (4).
- Bate, S. and Bennetts, R., 2015. The independence of expression and identity in face-processing: Evidence from neuropsychological case studies. Frontiers in Psychology, 6 (JUN).
- Bobak, A.K., Hancock, P.J.B. and Bate, S., 2015. Super-recognisers in Action: Evidence from Face-matching and Face Memory Tasks. Applied Cognitive Psychology.
- Bate, S., Bennetts, R., Mole, J.A., Ainge, J.A., Gregory, N.J., Bobak, A.K. and Bussunt, A., 2014. Rehabilitation of face-processing skills in an adolescent with prosopagnosia: Evaluation of an online perceptual training programme. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation: An International Journal, 25 (5), 733-762.
- Parris, B.A., Dienes, Z., Bate, S. and Gothard, S., 2014. Oxytocin impedes the effect of the word blindness post-hypnotic suggestion on Stroop task performance. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 9 (7), 895-899.
- Bate, S., 2014. Face facts: Understanding prosopagnosia. Psychology Review, 19, 18-21.
- Bate, S., Cook, S.J., Duchaine, B., Tree, J.J., Burns, E.J. and Hodgson, T.L., 2014. Intranasal inhalation of oxytocin improves face processing in developmental prosopagnosia. Cortex, 50, 55-63.
- Bate, S. and Bennetts, R., 2014. The rehabilitation of face recognition impairments: A critical review and future directions. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 491.
- Bate, S., Cook, S.J., Mole, J. and Cole, J., 2013. First report of generalized face processing difficulties in möbius sequence. PLoS One, 8 (4), e62656.
- Bennetts, R., Bate, S., Cook, S., Duchaine, B., Tree, J., Burns, E. and Hodgson, T., 2013. Intranasal Inhalation of Oxytocin Improves Face Processing in Developmental Prosopagnosia. PERCEPTION, 42, 78.
- Bate, S. and Cook, S.J., 2012. Covert recognition relies on affective valence in developmental prosopagnosia: Evidence from the skin conductance response. Neuropsychology.
- Parris, B.A., Bate, S., Brown, S.D. and Hodgson, T.L., 2012. Facilitating goal-oriented behaviour in the Stroop task: when executive control is influenced by automatic processing. PLoS One, 7 (10), e46994.
- Bate, S., 2011. Understanding Facial Recognition Difficulties in Children: Prosopagnosia Management Strategies for Parents and Professionals. JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC AND MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, 18 (6), E17-E18.
- Bate, S., Haslam, C., Hodgson, T.L., Jansari, A., Gregory, N. and Kay, J.M., 2010. Positive and negative emotion enhances the processing of famous faces in a semantic judgment task. Neuropsychology, 24 (1), 84-89.
- Bate, S., Kay, J., Code, C.C., Haslam, C. and Hallowell, B., 2010. Eighteen years on: What next for the PALPA? International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 12, 190-202.
- Bate, S., Parris, B., Haslam, C. and Kay, J., 2010. Socio-Emotional Functioning and Face Recognition Ability in the Normal Population. Personality and Individual Differences, 48, 239-242.
- Bate, S., Haslam, C., Jansari, A. and Hodgson, T.L., 2009. Covert face recognition relies on affective valence in congenital prosopagnosia. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 26, 391-411.
- Bate, S., Haslam, C. and Hodgson, T.L., 2009. Angry faces are special too: Evidence from the visual scanpath. Neuropsychology, 23, 658-667.
- Bate, S., Haslam, C., Tree, J.J. and Hodgson, T.L., 2008. Evidence of an eye movement-based memory effect in congenital prosopagnosia. Cortex, 44, 806-819.
Books
- Bate, S., 2012. Face Recognition and its Disorders. Palgrave Macmillan.
Chapters
- Portch, E., Attard-Johnson, J., Estudillo, A.J., Mestry, N. and Bate, S., 2024. “Super-recognizers” and the Legal System. The Impact of Technology on the Criminal Justice System: A Psychological Overview. 272-300.
- Bate, S., Mestry, N. and Portch, E., 2021. Individual Differences Between Observers in Face Matching. Forensic Face Matching: Research and Practice. 115-143.
- Bate, S. and Murray, E., 2017. The extremes of face recognition: Prosopagnosia and super recognition. Face Processing: Systems, Disorders and Cultural Differences. 203-222.
Conferences
- Bate, S. and Bobak, A., 2016. Finding the right person for the right job: The importance of personnel selection in national security assignments involving unfamiliar face recognition. In: European Association of Psychology and Law 5-8 July 2016 Toulouse, France.
- Bate, S., Bennetts, R., Murray, E. and Boyce, T., 2016. Prevalence and characteristics of developmental prosopagnosia in children. In: British Psychological Society Annual Conference 26-28 April 2016 Nottingham, UK.
- Bate, S., 2016. Diagnosing developmental prosopagnosia. In: British Psychological Society Annual Conference 26-28 August 2016 Nottingham, UK.
- Bate, S., Bennetts, R., Adams, A. and Line, H., 2016. Developmental prosopagnosia with concurrent topographical disorientation: The first case report and evaluation of a cognitive map training programme. In: British Psychological Society Annual Conference 26-28 April 2016 Nottingham, UK.
- Murray, E., Adams, A. and Bate, S., 2016. Evidence-based guidelines for the detection and management of developmental prosopagnosia in adults and children. In: British Psychological Society Annual Conference 26-28 April 2016 Nottingham, UK.
- Bate, S., Bobak, A. and Hancock, P.J.B., 2015. Super Recognizers in Action: Evidence from face memory and face matching tasks. In: European Association of Psychology and Law 4-7 August 2015 Nuremberg, Germany.
- Bennetts, R., Bate, S., Penton, T., Kohl, C. and Banissy, M., 2015. Transcranial random noise stimulation and cognitive training improves face perception. In: Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting 28-31 March 2015 San Francisco, California. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 153 Davis, California: Cognitive Neuroscience Society.
- Bennetts, R., Murray, E., Boyce, T. and Bate, S., 2015. The development of face and object processing in childhood. PERCEPTION, 44, 22.
- Bennetts, R., Gregory, N. and Bate, S., 2014. Characterising developmental prosopagnosia: What can subtypes tell us? In: Experimental Psychology Society 15-17 April 2014 Kent. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 12 (67), 2467-2477 Taylor & Francis.
- Bennetts, R., Penton, T., Kohl, C., Banissy, M. and Bate, S., 2014. Transcranial electric stimulation and cognitive training improves face perception. In: European Conference on Visual Perception 24-28 August 2014 Belgrade, Serbia. Perception, 16 London, UK: Pion.
- Bennetts, R., Bate, S., Cook, S.J., Duchaine, B., Tree, J.J., Burns, E. and Hodgson, T.L., 2013. Intranasal Inhalation of Oxytocin Improves Face Processing in Developmental Prosopagnosia. In: European Conference on Visual Perception 25-29 August 2013 Bremen, Germany. Perception, 42, 78.
- Bate, S., 2013. Aberrant scanning of facial expressions in developmental prosopagnosia. In: Joint Annual Conference of the BPS Cognitive and Developmental Sections 4-6 September 2013 Reading, UK.
- Bennetts, R., Bate, S., Cook, S.J., Duchaine, B., Tree, J.J., Burns, E. and Hodgson, T.L., 2013. Intranasal inhalation of oxytocin improves face processing in developmental prosopagnosia. In: Joint Annual Conference of the BPS Cognitive and Developmental Sections 4-6 September 2013 Reading, UK.
- Bussunt, A. and Bate, S., 2013. Navigation training improves face recognition in developmental prosopagnosia. In: Joint Annual Conference of the BPS Cognitive and Developmental Sections 4-6 September 2013 Reading, UK.
- Bobak, A. and Bate, S., 2013. Group differences in the scanning of faces: Insights from 'super-recognizers', developmental prosopagnosia and individuals with typical face memory. In: Joint Annual Conference of the BPS Cognitive and Developmental Sections 4-6 September 2013 Reading, UK.
- Bate, S., 2013. Social scene perception in developmental prosopagnosia: Normal attention to faces but aberrant patterns of feature exploration. In: Eye Movements Research and Developmental Disorders workshop 13 March 2013 Newcastle, UK.
- Bate, S., Haslam, C. and Hodgson, T.L., 2010. Evidence of an eye movement-based memory effect in congenital prosopagnosia. Paper. In: 25th Anniversary Conference of the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section 7-10 September 2008 Southampton, UK.
- Bate, S., Haslam, C. and Hodgson, T.L., 2010. Covert face recognition relies on affective valence in congenital prosopagnosia. In: Annual Meeting of the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section 6-8 September 2010 Cardiff, UK.
- Parris, B.A., Bate, S. and Hodgson, T.L., 2010. Facilitating goal maintenance in the Stroop task. Paper presented at the , Cardiff. In: Annual Meeting of the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section 6-8 September 2010 Cardiff, UK.
- Parris, B., Bate, S. and Hodgson, T.L., 2008. Prime speed for selective attention in the Stroop task. In: Meeting of the British Psychological Society: Consciousness and Experiential Psychology Section 22 November 2008 London.
- Parris, B., Bate, S. and Hodgson, T.L., 2008. Prime speed for selective attention in the Stroop task. In: Meeting of the British Psychological Society: Cognitive Psychology Section 8-10 September 2008 Southampton.
- Bate, S., Haslam, C., Hodgson, T.L. and Tree, J.J., 2007. Evidence of an eye movement-based memory effect in congenital prosopagnosia. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 13, 37.
- Bate, S., Haslam, C. and Hodgson, T.L., 2006. Evidence of an eye movement-based memory effect in congenital prosopagnosia. In: 4th International Conference on Memory 16-21 July 2006 Sydney, Australia.
Preprints
- Murray, E., Bennetts, R., Tree, J. and Bate, S., 2021. An Update of the Benton Facial Recognition Test.
PhD Students
- Anna Bobak
Profile of Teaching PG
- MSc Lifespan Neuropsychology
Profile of Teaching UG
- Face Recognition and its Disorders (Level H)
- Developmental Psychology and its Disorders (Level I)
Grants
- Launch of the Face Blindness Awareness Campaign (British Psychological Society, 01 Nov 2013). In Progress
Qualifications
- PhD in Psychology (University of Exeter, 2009)
- MSc in Psychological Research Methods (Distinction) (University of Exeter, 2005)
- BA (Hons) in Psychology (First class) (University of Exeter, 2004)
Memberships
- Experimental Psychology Society, Member (2012-),
- British Neuropsychological Society, Member (2009-),
- British Psychological Society, Member (2008-),
Networks
- Centre for Face Processing Disorders