Abstract
In this study, to investigate whether infants showed face-specific brain activity to a cartoon human face, we conducted a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) experiment and a behavioral experiment. In the fNIRS experiment, we measured the hemodynamic responses of 5- and 6-month-old infants to cartoon female and cartoon character faces using fNIRS. The results showed that the concentration of oxy-Hb increased for cartoon female faces but not for cartoon character faces. This indicates that face-specific brain activity occurred for cartoon female faces but not cartoon character faces, despite the fact that both are faces. In the behavioral experiment, we examined whether the 5- and 6-month-old infants preferred cartoon female faces to cartoon character faces in the upright and inverted conditions. The results showed a preference for cartoon female faces in the upright but not in the inverted condition. This indicates that 5- and 6-month-old infants can perceive cartoon female faces, but not cartoon character faces, as faces. The results of the two experiments indicated that face-specific brain activity occurred for cartoon female faces. This indicates that infants can perceive cartoon female faces as faces.
Highlights
Humans have the ability to perceive a face even in non-realistic faces, such as in cartoon faces used in animation
We investigated whether cartoon faces induced brain activity similar to photographed faces using functional near-infrared spectroscopy
We examined the hemodynamic responses to cartoon female faces and cartoon character faces using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)
Summary
Humans have the ability to perceive a face even in non-realistic faces, such as in cartoon faces used in animation. A previous study reported that infants can perceive a cartoon face as a face in behavioral experiments [1]. Kobayashi et al recently investigated whether infants perceive a cartoon face as a face [1]. They compared the infants’ preference between the mother’s and a stranger’s face of the cartoon image and found that infants preferred the mother’s face even in the cartoon image. This study indicated infants’ ability to perceive cartoon face processing in behavioral experiments, no prior study has examined infants’ brain activity in response to cartoon faces. We investigated whether cartoon faces induced brain activity similar to photographed faces using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)
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