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Faces are special for newly hatched chicks: evidence for inborn domain‐specific mechanisms underlying spontaneous preferences for face‐like stimuli

Faces are special for newly hatched chicks: evidence for inborn domain‐specific mechanisms... It is currently being debated whether human newborns’ preference for faces is due to an unlearned, domain‐specific and configural representation of the appearance of a face, or to general mechanisms, such as an up‐down bias (favouring top‐heavy stimuli, which have more elements in their upper part). Here we show that 2‐day‐old domestic chicks, visually naïve for the arrangement of inner facial features, spontaneously prefer face‐like, schematic, stimuli. This preference is maintained when the up‐down bias is controlled for (Experiment1) or when put in direct conflict with facedness (Experiment 4). In contrast, we found no evidence for the presence of an up‐down bias in chicks (Experiment 2). Moreover, our results indicate that the eye region of stimuli is crucial in determining the expression of spontaneous preferences for faces (Experiments 3 and 4). http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Developmental Science Wiley

Faces are special for newly hatched chicks: evidence for inborn domain‐specific mechanisms underlying spontaneous preferences for face‐like stimuli

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References (52)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
ISSN
1363-755X
eISSN
1467-7687
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-7687.2009.00914.x
pmid
20590721
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

It is currently being debated whether human newborns’ preference for faces is due to an unlearned, domain‐specific and configural representation of the appearance of a face, or to general mechanisms, such as an up‐down bias (favouring top‐heavy stimuli, which have more elements in their upper part). Here we show that 2‐day‐old domestic chicks, visually naïve for the arrangement of inner facial features, spontaneously prefer face‐like, schematic, stimuli. This preference is maintained when the up‐down bias is controlled for (Experiment1) or when put in direct conflict with facedness (Experiment 4). In contrast, we found no evidence for the presence of an up‐down bias in chicks (Experiment 2). Moreover, our results indicate that the eye region of stimuli is crucial in determining the expression of spontaneous preferences for faces (Experiments 3 and 4).

Journal

Developmental ScienceWiley

Published: Jul 1, 2010

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