The development of facial identity discrimination through learned attention

摘要: Learned attention models of perceptual discrimination predict that with age, sensitivity will increase for dimensions stimuli useful discrimination. We tested this prediction by examining the face 4- to 6-month-olds (n = 77), 9- 12-month-olds (n = 66), and adults (n = 73) use discriminating human, monkey, sheep faces systematically varying in outer features (contour), inner (eyes, mouth), or configuration (feature spacing). controlled interindividual variability across species within natural ranges measured stimulus using computational image similarity. found most improvement age human discrimination, older participants discriminated more used facial properties consistent learned models. Older infants faces; however, they different primates sheep. may provide insight into mechanisms underlying narrowing. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 56: 1083–1101, 2014.