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Development of the other-race effect during infancy: Evidence toward universality?

Kelly, David J., Liu, Shaoying, Lee, Kang, Quinn, Paul C, Pascalis, Olivier, Slater, Alan M, Ge, Liezhong (2009) Development of the other-race effect during infancy: Evidence toward universality? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 104 (1). pp. 105-114. ISSN 0022-0965. (doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2009.01.006) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:40443)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2009.01.006

Abstract

The other-race effect in face processing develops within the first year of life in Caucasian infants. It is currently unknown whether the developmental trajectory observed in Caucasian infants can be extended to other cultures. This is an important issue to investigate because recent findings from cross-cultural psychology have suggested that individuals from Eastern and Western backgrounds tend to perceive the world in fundamentally different ways. To this end, the current study investigated 3-, 6-, and 9-month-old Chinese infants’ ability to discriminate faces within their own racial group and within two other racial groups (African and Caucasian). The 3-month-olds demonstrated recognition in all conditions, whereas the 6-month-olds recognized Chinese faces and displayed marginal recognition for Caucasian faces but did not recognize African faces. The 9-month-olds’ recognition was limited to Chinese faces. This pattern of development is consistent with the perceptual narrowing hypothesis that our perceptual systems are shaped by experience to be optimally sensitive to stimuli most commonly encountered in one’s unique cultural environment.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.jecp.2009.01.006
Additional information: number of additional authors: 6;
Uncontrolled keywords: Face processing; Other-race effect; Development; Infancy; Culture; Perceptual narrowing
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Medway School of Pharmacy
Depositing User: Stewart Brownrigg
Date Deposited: 07 Mar 2014 00:05 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:15 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/40443 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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