The infant female face preference is not generalizable to all age faces

• In Event: Recent findings on the development of face processing and preferences in early childhood

Abstract

Previous studies have found that infants form gender presentations via integration with their caregivers in early infancy. They exhibit a visual preference for faces of the same gender as their primary caregiver (Quinn et al., 2002, 2010). Infants display this visual preference not only for adult females but also for the faces of female children, suggesting the generalizability of this gender representation. However, the generalizability has never been assessed with faces of other age groups (e.g., adolescents & senior adults). To this end, the present study aims to fill the gaps in knowledge by examining the female face preference with faces across a wide age range: children, adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, and senior adults.

Thirty Caucasian or Caucasian-mixed infants (13 female) aged between 4- to 9-months participated in the study. Based on parents’ reports, they were raised primarily by female caregivers. They watched 20 male and 20 female images from 5 different age groups: children (3- to 6-year-old), adolescents (13- to 19-year-old), young adults (20- to 30-year-old), middle-aged adults (45- to 55-year-old), and senior adults (70- to 80-year-old). These faces were presented in pairs, with each pair comprising one female and one male face from the same age group. Each age group was shown for 4 trials (total 20 trials) with counterbalanced face positions. The trial order was randomized across participants.

We conducted the study online; with the use of Zoom to record participants’ looking behaviour. We calculated each infant’s visual preference score based on the video recording. Specifically, the infant’s looking behaviour was calculated as a percentage based on the number of frames spent looking at the female or male face divided by the total number of frames spent looking at both the male and female face, then multiplied by 100.

We found that younger infants (4- to 7.5-months, N = 13, Figure 1) but not older infants (7.5- to 9-months, N = 17, Figure 2) exhibited a female face preference. However, this female face preference was only found significant with adolescent and young adult faces, and not with children, middle-aged, or senior adult faces.

Overall, these findings suggest, infants’ representation of female faces is not generalized to faces of all ages, hence the female face bias was not observed for faces in some age groups. Furthermore, our results suggest that frequent exposure to seniors may weaken the female face representation. While our findings are consistent with other studies demonstrating an age-associated downturn in the female face preference, we did not find a generalization of female to girl faces. This difference could be explained by COVID-19 as infants in our study had limited face experience, thus a narrower female face representation would be expected.

To understand the mechanism underlying the age-specific female face preference, our ongoing study examines whether the female face preference is driven by experience or a result of the gender distinctiveness of the faces shown. Hence, we have manipulated the gender distinctiveness of young and senior adult faces, which we used to investigate infants’ preference.

Authors

• Kelsie Lau, McMaster University
  Presenting Author

• Jason Lau

• Chantelle Castelino

• Naiqi G Xiao, McMaster University