Physiognomic form perception: mature or immature?

The hypothesis that physiognomic perception, rather than being an immature mode, characterizing, in particular, children, primitives, and schizophrenics, is, instead, a basic mode, was tested. Children of both Eastern and Western parentage in Grades 3, 5, 6, and 11 were given the Physiognomic Form Perception Test, an instrument specially developed for testing physiognimic perception. No decrease with age in such perception was noted. Although there was a tendency for scores to increase with age for girls of Eastern origin, in general the scores do not increase with age. Physiognomic perception is apparently not acquired. Sex differences were not significant.