Differential effects of transformation on facial recognition in young children: a pilot study

This study sought to examine further the effect of facial transformation on accuracy of recognition by a sample of young children. Specifically, groups of 6- and 8-yr.-old children were familiarized with 10 target stimuli and were then given a recognition test in which the targets were randomly mixed with 20 distractor stimuli. During the test, half of the target stimuli were transformed (addition of a mustache) and half of the target stimuli remained unchanged (clean-shaven). Subjects indicated which stimuli were previously viewed target faces, regardless of whether a mustache had been added. Analysis indicated no differences between the two groups for the unchanged faces; however, the addition of facial hair increased false alarms and lowered hits and d' values for the younger group only. These results suggest that the groups performed equally well on recognition test for unchanged stimuli, but accuracy of recognition of transformed stimuli was differentially affected for younger subjects. This study raises further questions for assessing the accuracy of facial memory by children, especially when faces to be identified have been altered in physical appearance.