Study Design and Methodology

This study used a high-density array net of electrodes embedded in soft sponges placed at specific points known to correspond to regions of neural activity associated with visual recognition. By recording changes in brain activity in those regions as represented by changes in event-related potential (ERP), the researchers hoped to identify patterns of visual recognition that corresponded specifically to the ability of the subjects to perceive changes in the appearance of mouth shape and position as opposed to changes in eye shape and position on the visual depictions of adult faces. In thirty-percent of the trials, the mouths or eyes of the models (smiling adult females) in the photographs were replaced with the mouths or eyes of different adult females.

The principle findings of this study were that the infants recognized both changes in mouths and in eyes but that they used that information differently. Additionally, it was determined that the infants relied more heavily on visual information from the eyes for face recognition and comparatively little on information from mouths for facial recognition purposes. However, the infants relied much more heavily with respect to information from the mouths in connection with communication and comparatively little on information from the eyes for communications purposes.