Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10453195 | Journal of Experimental Child Psychology | 2005 | 19 Pages |
Abstract
This study was aimed at investigating the face preference phenomenon and its underlying mechanisms at 3 months of age. Using an eye-tracker apparatus, Experiment 1 demonstrated that 3-month-olds prefer natural face images to unnatural ones, replicating and extending previous evidence obtained with schematic facelike stimuli. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that the general mechanisms that induce face preference in newborns could not explain the same phenomenon at 3 months of age, when infants are attracted by perceptual cues more specific to faces. This suggests that signs of a process of cognitive specialization are already present in 3-month-olds' visual behavior toward faces.
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Social Sciences and Humanities
Psychology
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Authors
Chiara Turati, Eloisa Valenza, Irene Leo, Francesca Simion,