The Effect of Experience on Infants ’ Visual Preferences

Research has shown that 3 to 4-month-olds with female primary caregivers show visual preferences for female relative to male faces (Quinn, Yahr, Kuhn, Slater, & Pascalis, 2002). Facial experience is likely an important influence on these preferences. From birth, infants’ experiences guide face processing skills. This processing ability influences the development of efficient face recognition later in life. The following study investigated (1) How visual pref-erences are influenced by real world experience with males and females, and (2) How experi-ence affects older infants ’ visual preferences (i.e., 10-month-olds)