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Developing a brain specialized for face perception: a converging methods approach.

Michelle de Haan1, Kate Humphreys, Mark H Johnson

  • 1Institute of Child Health, University College London, Developmental Cognitive, Neurosciences Unit, The Wolfson Centre, Mecklenburgh Square, London WCIN ZAP, United Kingdom.

Developmental Psychobiology
|March 14, 2002
PubMed
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Facial recognition develops through interactive specialization, where early orienting tendencies guide visual input to the brain. This interaction of internal and external factors shapes the emergent specialization for processing faces in children.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Adults exhibit rapid and accurate facial identity recognition.
  • Existing theories propose either an innate "face module" or extensive experience as the basis for this skill.
  • Neither view emphasizes the developmental trajectory of face-processing abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present evidence supporting the "interactive specialization" view of face processing development.
  • To challenge the dichotomy between innate modules and pure experience-based learning.
  • To elucidate the developmental mechanisms underlying cortical face specialization.

Main Methods:

  • Review of evidence from diverse methodologies.
  • Analysis of early orienting tendencies in infants.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of visual input to ventral visual pathway areas.

    • Main Results:

    • Early orienting tendencies direct frequent visual input of faces to higher cortical areas.
    • Cortical specialization for face processing emerges from this process.
    • Development is characterized by an interaction of intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

    Conclusions:

    • The "interactive specialization" model provides a more comprehensive explanation for face recognition development.
    • Face processing skills are not solely innate or learned but emerge dynamically.
    • Understanding development is crucial for comprehending the origins of specialized cognitive functions.