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The neural correlates of processing newborn and adult faces in 3-year-old children

Stefanie Peykarjou1, Alissa Westerlund, Viola Macchi Cassia

  • 1Department of Developmental and Biological Psychology, Heidelberg University, Germany.

Developmental Science
|October 15, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Three-year-olds process inverted faces differently, showing faster P1 brain responses and larger P400 amplitudes. Having a younger sibling may enhance face processing efficiency and flexibility in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental psychology
  • Cognitive neuroscience
  • Visual perception

Background:

  • Face processing is a crucial cognitive skill that develops throughout early childhood.
  • Understanding how children process different face orientations and ages provides insights into perceptual development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how 3-year-old children process upright versus inverted faces using event-related potentials (ERPs).
  • To explore the influence of experience, specifically having a younger sibling, on the processing of adult and newborn faces.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) in 35 children aged 3 years during a passive viewing task.
  • Presented stimuli included upright and inverted adult and newborn faces.
  • Compared ERP components (P1, N170, P400) between conditions and groups (with/without younger sibling).

Main Results:

  • Inverted faces showed shorter P1 latency and larger P400 amplitude compared to upright faces.
  • Adult faces elicited larger P1 and N170 amplitudes than newborn faces.
  • A negative correlation between sibling age and P1 amplitude suggested more efficient processing in children with younger siblings.

Conclusions:

  • Early face processing in young children is sensitive to face orientation and age.
  • Experience with younger siblings may foster more flexible and efficient face representation and processing in children.

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