Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior
Published on: November 14, 2018
The relationships between processing facial identity, emotional expression, facial speech, and gaze direction during
Sibylle M Spangler1, Gudrun Schwarzer, Monika Korell
1Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Giessen, 35394 Giessen, Germany. sibylle.spangler@psychol.uni-giessen.de
Abstract:
Four experiments were conducted with 5- to 11-year-olds and adults to investigate whether facial identity, facial speech, emotional expression, and gaze direction are processed independently of or in interaction with one another. In a computer-based, speeded sorting task, participants sorted faces according to facial identity while disregarding facial speech, emotional expression, and gaze direction or, alternatively, according to facial speech, emotional expression, and gaze direction while disregarding facial identity. Reaction times showed that children and adults were able to direct their attention selectively to facial identity despite variations of other kinds of face information, but when sorting according to facial speech and emotional expression, they were unable to ignore facial identity. In contrast, gaze direction could be processed independently of facial identity in all age groups. Apart from shorter reaction times and fewer classification errors, no substantial change in processing facial information was found to be correlated with age. We conclude that adult-like face processing routes are employed from 5 years of age onward.
Related Concept Videos
Facial Feedback Hypothesis
Therapeutic Communication
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Emotional Expression
Universal Facial Expressions
Psychologist Paul Ekman identified seven basic...
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

