Infant visual fixation on motion pictures of the human face

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted in which five-month-old infants' visual fixations on silent, color motion pictures of a woman's face were observed. The stimuli varied with respect to facial expression and movement. Three facial expressions (smiling, frowning, and a neutral expression) were used, each of which was presented both moving and nonmoving. The pictures were all fixated considerably longer than a control stimulus (white light) and the moving stimuli were fixated significantly longer than the nonmoving stimuli. A significant difference between stimuli differing in facial expressions was not found except in one specific situation, with nonmoving stimuli and with a short stimulus presentation time (28 seconds). No differences among the facial expressions were found with moving stimuli or when a 60-second stimulus presentation time was used. Kicking responses were also recorded in the first experiment. Very little kicking occurred, and no significant differences among kicking rates during the different stimuli were found.