Modeling face identification processing in children and adults

Two face identification experiments were carried out to study whether and h ow children (5-year-olds) and adults integrate single facial features to id entify faces. Using the paradigm of the Fuzzy Logical Model of Perception e ach experiment used the same expanded factorial design, with three levels o f eyes variations crossed with three levels of mouth variations as well as their corresponding half-face conditions. In Experiment 1, an integration o f facial features was observed in adults only. But, in adjusting the salien ce of the features varied, the results of Experiment 2 indicate that childr en and adults evaluated and integrated information from both features to id entify a face. A weighted Fuzzy Logical Model of Perception fit the judgmen ts significantly better than a Single Channel Model and questions previous claims of holistic face processing. Although no developmental differences i n the stage of the integration of facial information were observable, diffe rences between children and adults appeared in the information used for fac e identification. (C) 2001 Academic Press.