Face Perception During Early Infancy

TLDR

Previous studies of face perception during early infancy are difficult to interpret because of discrepant results and procedural differences. The study aimed to test newborns, 6‑week‑old, and 12‑week‑old infants using a standardized Teller acuity card procedure with three pairs of face and nonface stimuli. The authors employed that standardized Teller acuity card procedure to assess infant face perception. Newborns’ preferences were influenced by stimulus visibility and resemblance to a human face, suggesting a likely subcortical mechanism predisposing newborns to look toward faces, while changes at 6 and 12 weeks indicate increasing cortical influence on infants’ face preferences.

Abstract

Previous studies of face perception during early infancy are difficult to interpret because of discrepant results and procedural differences. We used a standardized method based on the Teller acuity card procedure to test newborns, 6-week-olds, and 12-week-olds with three pairs of face and nonface stimuli modified from previous studies. Newborns' preferences were influenced both by the visibility of the stimuli and by their resemblance to a human face. There appears to be a mechanism, likely subcortical, predisposing newborns to look toward faces. Changes in preferences at 6 and 12 weeks of age suggest increasing cortical influence over infants' preferences for faces.