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Updated: Mar 9, 2026

Cortical Source Analysis of High-Density EEG Recordings in Children
Published on: June 30, 2014
The special status of sad infant faces: age and valence differences in adults' cortical face processing
Tyler Colasante1, Sarah I Mossad2, Joanna Dudek3
1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga ON L5L 1C6, Canada.
Abstract:
Understanding the relative and joint prioritization of age- and valence-related face characteristics in adults' cortical face processing remains elusive because these two characteristics have not been manipulated in a single study of neural face processing. We used electroencephalography to investigate adults' P1, N170, P2 and LPP responses to infant and adult faces with happy and sad facial expressions. Viewing infant vs adult faces was associated with significantly larger P1, N170, P2 and LPP responses, with hemisphere and/or participant gender moderating this effect in select cases. Sad faces were associated with significantly larger N170 responses than happy faces. Sad infant faces were associated with significantly larger N170 responses in the right hemisphere than all other combinations of face age and face valence characteristics. We discuss the relative and joint neural prioritization of infant face characteristics and negative facial affect, and their biological value as distinct caregiving and social cues.
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