Speech and face processing beyond perceptual narrowing: Domain-general vs. domain-specific mechanisms in attunement and its modification

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The present project investigates the developmental trajectory of perceptual narrowing in speech and faces and its potential modification during infancy and early childhood. The research focuses on the hypothesis that perceptual narrowing is a first step in a process that leads to a stronger separation of information processing in these two domains. This hypothesis is tested by experimental studies targeting the interactions and modifications of speech and face processing, mainly in training experiments that try to reverse effects of perceptual narrowing in toddlers and preschool children. In addition, we will study the neural underpinnings that are associated with the narrowing process during the first year of life but also with the potential reversal of this process after training. The results will provide new insights into the contribution of domain-general or domain-specific mechanisms to early human development.