The term prosopagnosia refers to a deficit in which cognitive function?

• A. Face recognition
• B. Word reading
• C. Color perception
• D. Spatial orientation

Answer: (A)

Prosopagnosia is a deficit in recognizing faces. It reflects a disruption in linking facial appearance to the identity of familiar people, even though basic vision and other cognitive abilities are typically intact. People with this condition may see a face clearly but have difficulty saying who the person is, often relying on non-facial clues like voice or clothing to identify someone. This selective impairment distinguishes it from other visual or cognitive functions: word reading involves language and literacy, color perception involves color processing, and spatial orientation involves navigation and scene understanding. The issue here specifically targets facial identity, not those other domains.