Why does face identification ability improve during childhood?

准确的面部识别对社会功能至关重要，并得到面部特异性视觉和神经机制的支持。在面部识别测试中的表现从学龄前一直持续到青春期。是什么推动了这种改进？该项目比较了目前的两种理论，以确定是面部特异性发展还是更普遍的认知和知觉发展推动了这种改善。该项目将采用一种强大而新颖的方法，利用个体差异和纵向设计，为儿童时期面部识别技能发展变化的来源提供新的见解。该项目还通过研究先天性面孔失认症（脸盲）来研究发育是如何中断的。

Accurate face identification is crucial to social functioning and is supported by face-specific visual and neural mechanisms. Performance on tests of face identification continues to improve from preschool ages until well into adolescence. What drives this improvement? This project compares two current theories to determine whether face-specific development or more general cognitive and perceptual development drives this improvement. The project will employ a powerful and novel approach, using individual differences and a longitudinal design that will provide new insights into the source of developmental change in face identification skills during childhood. This project also examines how development breaks down by studying Congenital Prosopagnosia (face-blindness).