title: Eye tracking reveals a crucial role for facial motion in recognition of faces by infants.
abstract: Current knowledge about face processing in infancy comes largely from studies using static face stimuli, but faces that infants see in the real world are mostly moving ones. To bridge this gap, 3-, 6-, and 9-month-old Asian infants (N = 118) were familiarized with either moving or static Asian female faces, and then their face recognition was tested with static face images. Eye-tracking methodology was used to record eye movements during the familiarization and test phases. The results showed a developmental change in eye movement patterns, but only for the moving faces. In addition, the more infants shifted their fixations across facial regions, the better their face recognition was, but only for the moving faces. The results suggest that facial movement influences the way faces are encoded from early in development.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Naiqi G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware.
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Shaoying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Liezhong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (LPNC), Université Grenoble Alpes.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pascalis
authors.affiliation: Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D002657:Child Development; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005145:Face; D000066499:Facial Recognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D002666:Psychology, Child; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*