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Infant preference for female faces occurs for same- but not other-race faces
Paul C Quinn1, Lesley Uttley, Kang Lee
1Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, Delaware, USA.
Journal of Neuropsychology
|April 1, 2009
Summary
Infants show a preference for female faces, but this preference depends on race. Early face experiences shape infant perception of gender and race, influencing their developing face prototype.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Infant Perception
- Social Cognition
Background:
- Infants demonstrate early sensitivity to social attributes like race and gender in faces.
- By three months, infants prefer same-race faces and faces matching their primary caregiver's gender.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the emergence of female face preference in relation to face race in infants.
- To determine if face gender and race preferences are independent or interactive in early development.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Tested 3-month-old Caucasian infants' preference for female versus male faces (Caucasian and Asian).
- Experiment 2: Tested newborn Caucasian infants' preference for female versus male Caucasian faces.
Main Results:
- Three-month-old infants preferred female faces when they were Caucasian, but not when they were Asian.
- Newborn infants did not show a gender preference for Caucasian faces.
Conclusions:
- Infant face preference is shaped by the interaction of experienced gender and race.
- A developing face prototype is progressively tuned by early visual experiences with faces.
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