During the first year of life face discrimination abilities narrow toward adult human faces of the most frequently encountered ethnic group/s. Earlier studies showed that perceptual learning under laboratory-training protocols can modulate this narrowing process. Here we investigated whether natural experience acquired in everyday settings with an older sibling's face can shape the trajectory of perceptual narrowing towards adult faces. Using an infant-controlled habituation procedure we measured discrimination of adult (Experiment 1) and child faces (Experiment 2) in 3- and 9- month-old infants with and without a child sibling. Discrimination of adult faces was observed for infants at both ages, although accompanied by posthabituation preferences in opposite directions, whereas at both ages the discrimination of child faces critically depended on sibling experience. These results provide the first evidence that natural experience acquired with siblings affects the tuning properties of infant face representation.

Proietti, V., Rigoldi, M., Croci, E., Macchi Cassia, V. (2018). How sibling experience affect perceptual narrowing towards adult faces in the first year of life. DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, 60(4), 395-406 [10.1002/dev.21616].

How sibling experience affect perceptual narrowing towards adult faces in the first year of life

Proietti, V
Primo
;
Macchi Cassia, V.
Ultimo
2018

Abstract

During the first year of life face discrimination abilities narrow toward adult human faces of the most frequently encountered ethnic group/s. Earlier studies showed that perceptual learning under laboratory-training protocols can modulate this narrowing process. Here we investigated whether natural experience acquired in everyday settings with an older sibling's face can shape the trajectory of perceptual narrowing towards adult faces. Using an infant-controlled habituation procedure we measured discrimination of adult (Experiment 1) and child faces (Experiment 2) in 3- and 9- month-old infants with and without a child sibling. Discrimination of adult faces was observed for infants at both ages, although accompanied by posthabituation preferences in opposite directions, whereas at both ages the discrimination of child faces critically depended on sibling experience. These results provide the first evidence that natural experience acquired with siblings affects the tuning properties of infant face representation.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
age bias, face discrimination, infancy, perceptual narrowing, sibling experience
English
12-mar-2018
2018
60
4
395
406
none
Proietti, V., Rigoldi, M., Croci, E., Macchi Cassia, V. (2018). How sibling experience affect perceptual narrowing towards adult faces in the first year of life. DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, 60(4), 395-406 [10.1002/dev.21616].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/190839
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