Face Recognition: More Than a Feeling of Familiarity?

Abstract

The object of this paper is the resolution of apparent contradictory claims emanating from infant and child studies of face recognition. Findings of infant studies suggest that by seven months of age the infant possesses sophisticated skills in face recognition (Cohen, Deloache & Pearl, 1977; Fagan, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977). Fagan (1976) claimed that seven month-old infants are able to recognise a photograph of a face after having previously observed a photograph which depicted that face from a different angle. In contrast, findings from child studies suggest that initially the recognition system is not very proficient and it is only during adolescence that it reaches adult proficiency (Carey, 1981; Carey, Diamond & Woods, 1980; Diamond & Carey, 1977; Flin, 1980; Thomson, 1984). Diamond & Carey (1977) have shown that children under the age of 10 years experienced great difficulty in recognizing a photograph of a person when that person was wearing different headgear. Thomson (1984) found age and context effects on person recognition interacted.