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Cited by 417Face Recognition and PerceptionMemory Processes and InfluencesChild and Animal Learning Development

Development of face recognition: A maturational component?

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Carey, Susan, Diamond, Rhea, Woods, Bryan·1980·Developmental Psychology
DOI 10.1037/0012-1649.16.4.257
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Abstract

In these studies we assessed development between ages 6 and 16 of the ability to encode unfamiliar faces. Performance improved markedly between ages 6 and 10 and then remained at a fixed level or actually declined for several years, finally improving again by age 16. Evidence is provided that this distinctive developmental course reflects, in part, acquisition of processes specific to the encoding effaces rather than general pattern encoding or metamemorial skills. The possibility that maturational factors contribute to the developmental course efface recognition is raised, and two sources of data relevant to assessing this possibility are discussed. Normal adults have a prodigious capacity for making new faces familiar. Whether one's high school class contained 90 or 800 people, approximately 90% of those classmates are recognized 35 years after graduation (Bahrick, Bahrick, & Wittlinger, 1975). Less dramatically, laboratory studies have shown that very brief exposure to previously unfamiliar faces permits subjects to distinguish those faces from new ones at a later time. The level of performance remains high across inspection sets that range in size from 20 to 72 (Bower & Karlin, 1974; Galper, 1970; Hochberg & Galper, 1967; Yarmey, 1971; Yin, 1969; but also see Diamond & Carey, 1977, and Patterson & Baddeley,

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  • This improvement was followed by a decline around the age of puberty; between ages 10 and 12, participants showed a drop in accuracy of over 10%.

    “However, this was followed by a decline around the age of puberty.Between ages 10 and 12, participants showed a drop in accuracy of over 10%.”

    From Development of the adolescent brain: implications for executive function and social cognition (2006) · cites this paper as Carey et al., 1980

  • Stages of considerable network reconfiguration may relate to nonlinear enhancement of certain cognitive skills.

    “Stages of considerable network re-configuration may relate to nonlinear enhancement of certain cognitive skills”

    From Developmental Changes in Organization of Structural Brain Networks (2013) · cites this paper as Carey et al. 1980

  • Carey et al. (1980) showed improvement in facial identity recognition across the first decade of life, followed by a brief dip in performance at age 12.

    “An early study by Carey et al. (1980) showed improvement in facial identity recognition across the first decade of life, followed by a brief dip in performance at age 12”

    From The social brain in adolescence: evidence from functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioural studies (2011) · cites this paper as Carey et al. (1980)

  • Specialised face processing mechanisms, at both the behavioural level and the neural level, continue to develop throughout the first and even the second decade of life.

    “In view of these early preferences, it has come as a surprise that specialised face processing mechanisms, at both the behavioural level and the neural level, continue to develop throughout the first and even the second decade of life (Carey et al., 1980; Durand et al., 2007; Mondloch et al., 2003).”

    From The social brain in adolescence: evidence from functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioural studies (2011) · cites this paper as Carey et al., 1980

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Authors
Carey, S., Diamond, R., & Woods, B.
Affiliations
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
ORCID
Carey, Susan
Venue
Developmental Psychology
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
1980-07
Volume
16
Issue
4
Pages
257-269
ISSN
  • 0012-1649 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-0599
DOI
10.1037/0012-1649.16.4.257
OpenAlex
W2009984591
Cited by
417
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 22
FWCI
2.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Developmental Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords
face recognition (cognition), face encoding, developmental course, metamemory, pattern encoding, unfamiliar faces, age differences, face memory

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