misrecognition

Misrecognition is the act or result of recognizing something incorrectly, including the wrong identification of a person, place, object, or sign, as well as interpreting a symbol or message in a way that does not correspond to its intended meaning. The term can refer to simple perceptual errors in everyday life as well as more formal concepts in psychology, semiotics, and social theory. It is related to, but distinct from, misperception (errors in perception) and misidentification (incorrect labeling of an entity).

In cognitive psychology and neuroscience, misrecognition describes errors in recognition memory, facial recognition, or object identification. Factors that contribute include memory decay, similarity between stimuli, perceptual noise, attention constraints, aging, stress, and cognitive load. Misrecognition can occur in rapid judgments, lab-based experiments, and real-world settings such as eyewitness identification or security screening, potentially leading to incorrect conclusions or actions.

In social and philosophical contexts, misrecognition refers to the mistaken or denied recognition of a person’s identity, value, or rights by others or by institutions. Influential in classical philosophy, it is also used in contemporary social theory to describe how social structures or cultural norms may deny individuals or groups genuine recognition, contributing to stigma, marginalization, or identity conflict. The concept is associated with discussions of recognition, autonomy, and justice.

Consequences of misrecognition can range from ordinary misunderstandings to serious outcomes, such as wrongful accusations, misattribution of credit, or demographic discrimination. Mitigation involves safeguards in verification processes (for identification and memory), awareness of bias, and attention to contexts that affect judgment.

See also: misidentification, misperception, false recognition, eyewitness error, recognition theory.