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Birthweight predicts individual differences in adult face recognition ability.
Sarah Bate1, Natalie Mestry1, Maddie Atkinson1
1Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK.
British Journal of Psychology (London, England : 1953)
|October 21, 2020
Summary
Birthweight and birthweight-for-gestation, not gestation alone, impact adult face perception and memory. These perinatal factors influence face recognition strategies, demonstrating early-life effects on specific cognitive skills.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Human Perception
Background:
- Premature birth and low birthweight are linked to general cognitive and emotional difficulties.
- Specific cognitive processes influenced by perinatal factors are less understood.
- Individual differences in cognitive performance may stem from early developmental influences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of gestation and birthweight on adult face perception and memory.
- To determine if perinatal factors influence domain-specific cognitive abilities.
- To explore the persistence of early developmental influences on adult cognitive functioning.
Main Methods:
- Assessed adult performance on face perception and face memory tasks.
- Correlated performance with perinatal measures (gestation, birthweight, birthweight-for-gestation).
- Compared effects on face processing with object perception and memory tasks.
Main Results:
- Birthweight and birthweight-for-gestation significantly predicted face perception and memory performance.
- Gestation alone did not correlate with face processing or memory skills.
- Perinatal measures did not affect object perception or memory, but influenced the face inversion effect.
Conclusions:
- Birthweight and birthweight-for-gestation exert a specific, lasting influence on face recognition abilities.
- These perinatal factors affect face processing strategies, not general cognitive function.
- The findings suggest a domain-specific, early-life origin for individual differences in face perception.
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