Face blindness, or prosopagnosia, is when a person has trouble recognizing faces, expressions, or both. Think you might have it? We’re here to help you find out!
Just take a crack at these quick questions. We’ll show you a face, then ask a question about it, and tell you if you might have face blindness based on your answers.
(Keep in mind that this isn’t an official prosopagnosia test, though it may help identify the condition. Talk to your doctor if you suspect you suffer from face blindness.)
Questions Overview
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- Serious
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- Laughing
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- Yes
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- Surprised
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More Quizzes
About Face Blindness
What is face blindness?
Face blindness, or prosopagnosia, is a condition that affects how someone sees faces. There are two main forms: apperceptive, which is where someone has trouble identifying expressions, and associative, which is where someone has trouble recognizing faces.
What causes face blindness?
There are a variety of different causes for face blindness. Like many agnosias (which are neurological conditions relating to recognition), it’s most often acquired, and people are rarely born with it. Usually, agnosias are caused by brain injuries or diseases that alter brain function, like blunt trauma, strokes, Alzheimer’s, or tumors. Just because someone has an agnosia doesn’t necessarily mean they have one of these other conditions, though.
Is there a cure for face blindness?
There currently isn’t a cure for prosopagnosia. At least, not in the same way you might cure another disease, like with medicine or surgery (unless the condition is related to a disease or condition that can be cured this way). Sometimes, the condition goes away on its own, as the body heals. Other times, someone with face blindness might “train” themselves to get around face blindness, by studying facial expressions or developing methods of remembering features, or by finding other ways to interact and interface with people.
Are there any strategies for living with face blindness?
Yes! Many people with face blindness learn to work with it. For example, if you have trouble recognizing faces, you might focus instead on recognizing voices, or people’s mannerisms. If you have trouble reading expressions, pay attention instead to the tone of their voice, or the content of their words. Ultimately, you might decide to tell people about your face blindness outright, and what they can do to make it easier to communicate with you, like introducing themselves each time you talk, or being more plain with their language so you can follow along.
How can I help someone with face blindness?
Usually, people with face blindness don’t need much help! They can recognize you by the sound of your voice, or with context clues. Often, though, it does help to communicate clearly and plainly, so that they don’t have trouble following the conversation if they’re unable to identify facial expressions. Otherwise, treat people with face blindness the same way you’d treat anyone else: like people!
Want to learn more?
For more information about face blindness, check out these resources:
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Any medically related content, whether User Content or otherwise found on the Service, is not intended to be medical advice or instructions for medical diagnosis or treatment, and no physician-patient or psychotherapist-patient relationship is, or is intended to be, created.
