The Human Fetus Preferentially Engages with Face-like Visual Stimuli

Abstract

Since publication, three errors have been highlighted:(1) Two fetal recordings were excluded from the final sample due to technical issues resulting in corruption of the scan at the source. The final sample and analysis remains unchanged. (2) A typographical error in the reported equation from Del Giudice ( 2011) was incorporated into the ''Method Details'' section.The actual calculation utilized in the original paper was the correct equation from Del Giudice (2011). (3) A statement related to normal distribution of the data has been removed from the ''Quantification and Statistical Analysis'' section. The original paper used non-parametric analyses, which are unaffected.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of face perception

“…Newborns recognize their mother's face (Bushnell, 2001;Bushnell, Sai, & Mullin, 1989) despite their otherwise undeveloped visual skills (Dobson & Teller, 1978), fetuses focus more on face-shaped than non-face-shaped objects (Reid et al, 2017) and inversion distorts face recognition more than recognition of other objects (Taubert, Apthorp, Aagten-Murphy, & Alais, 2011;Valentine, 1988;Yin, 1969). Thus, faces provide an excellent case for studying how our brain processes nuanced multidimensional information, in which the change in one dimension (e.g.…”

A transient time window for early predispositions in newborn chicks

“…The preference for the stuffed hen is linked to the head and neck region of the model, suggesting that this predisposition is connected to the preference for the inverted triangular shape of the face-like stimuli 5,26 . While even human foetuses have been shown to preferentially orient towards this pattern 28 , it is known that the preference for face-like patterns is not stable during development, declining at around two months of age [29][30][31] . Shultz and colleagues 32 made the interesting point of a general pattern of transitions from reflexive behaviours to volitional actions in human infants.…”

What deep learning can tell us about higher cognitive functions like mindreading?

“…For example, recognizing and distinguishing other human beings is important and hence there is an innate bias for attending to faces (Johnson, 2005;Reid et al, 2017). In particular, preferences for faces over similarly configured non-face objects are present in neonatal infants (Farroni et al, 2005) and even in fetuses in the third trimester of pregnancy (Reid et al, 2017). This bias is most likely a subcortical detector for stimuli with face-like configurations (Johnson, 2005;Reid et al, 2017) that directs the attention of the organism (e.g.…”

“…In particular, preferences for faces over similarly configured non-face objects are present in neonatal infants (Farroni et al, 2005) and even in fetuses in the third trimester of pregnancy (Reid et al, 2017). This bias is most likely a subcortical detector for stimuli with face-like configurations (Johnson, 2005;Reid et al, 2017) that directs the attention of the organism (e.g. through an eye-movement) towards faces.…”