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Superior Detection of Faces in Male Infants at 2 Months
Author(s) -
Maylott Sarah E.,
Sansone Jilian R.,
Jakobsen Krisztina V.,
Simpson Elizabeth A.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.13543
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , contrast (vision) , developmental stage , face perception , perception , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , computer science
Females generally attend more to social information than males; however, little is known about the early development of these sex differences. With eye tracking, 2‐month olds’ ( N = 101; 44 females) social orienting to faces was measured within four‐item image arrays. Infants were more likely to detect human faces compared to objects, suggesting a functional face detection system. Unexpectedly, males looked longer at human faces than females, and only males looked faster and longer at human faces compared to objects. Females, in contrast, looked less at human faces relative to animal faces and objects, appearing socially disinterested. Notably, this is the first report of a male face detection advantage at any age. These findings suggest a unique stage in early infant social development.