The effect of eye size on discriminating faces

Can infants recognize facial uncanniness

Bibliographic Data

ID19276443
AuthorsYuiko Sakuta (0000-0001-6956-6270, Chuo University, corresponding author), Kazuki Sato (0000-0002-0586-1868, Chuo University), So Kanazawa (Japan Women's University), Masami K Yamaguchi (0000-0001-5521-061X, Chuo University)
Year2014
Volume56
Issue4
Pages331-339
Publication date2014-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJapanese Psychological Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-5368 • E-ISSN: 1468-5884
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jpr.12057
OpenAlexW1592911585
LanguageEN
References cited18

Infants' ability to recognize uncanny human faces increases during the first year of life. In turn, their ability to recognize faces of other species declines at almost the same period (perceptual narrowing). In the current study, we aimed to clarify the relationship between the perception of uncanniness of faces and perceptual narrowing in infants and adults. We used the “uncanny valley task,” in which the participants were required to discriminate the faces of humans and monkeys by different eye size. Results showed that 3‐ to 5‐month‐old infants could not discriminate either monkey or human faces by eye size, whereas 6‐ to 8‐month olds could. Adults showed higher discrimination performance for human than monkey faces and perceived the human faces with extremely large or small eyes as exceedingly eerie. Our results suggest that perception of uncanniness of faces is formed after perceptual narrowing

Audiology · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Face (sociological concept) · Face perception · Perception · Uncanny · Uncanny valley · Visual perception · Aesthetic Perception and Analysis · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Face Recognition and Perception · Medicine · Neuroscience · Psychology

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