Month‐Old Infants Recognize Individual Unfamiliar Faces in a Rapid Repetition ERP Paradigm

Bibliographic Data

ID16782882
AuthorsStefanie Peykarjou (0000-0002-5367-125X, Heidelberg University, corresponding author), Sabina Pauen (0000-0001-5129-9004, Heidelberg University), Stefanie Hoehl (0000-0003-0472-0374, Heidelberg University)
Year2016
Volume21
Issue3
Pages288-311
Publication date2016-05-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInfancy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1525-0008 • E-ISSN: 1532-7078
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/infa.12118
OpenAlexW2127919427
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited42

To investigate whether infants show neural signatures of recognizing unfamiliar human faces, we tested 9‐month‐olds ( N = 31) in a rapid repetition ERP paradigm. Pictures of unfamiliar male and female faces (targets) were preceded either by a central attractor (Unprimed) or by a face (Primed). In the latter case, the prime faces were either identical to the target (Repeated) or not (Unrepeated). We compared processing of primed versus unprimed faces as well as processing of repeated versus unrepeated faces. Primed stimuli elicited decreased P1 amplitude, P1 latency and N290 amplitude, indicating categorical repetition effects very early during the stream of processing. For repeated relative to unrepeated faces, N290 latency was reduced. In addition, we observed an enhanced late positivity at occipital channels for unrepeated compared to repeated male faces, but no difference for female faces. Taken together, these results suggest that 9‐month‐olds categorize faces before discriminating them individually. Furthermore, infants' ability to recognize face identity seems to depend on familiarity with the given face category, as indicated by differences in brain responses to male and female faces

Audiology · Categorization · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Communication · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Face Recognition and Perception · Multisensory perception and integration · Neuroscience · Psychology

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