Why does face identification ability improve during childhood?

准确的人脸识别对社会功能至关重要，并得到人脸特异性视觉和神经机制的支持。从学龄前到青春期，面孔识别测试的成绩一直在提高。是什么推动了这种改善？这个项目比较了两个当前的理论，以确定是否面临特定的发展或更普遍的认知和知觉发展驱动这种改善。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的发展变化来源提供新的见解。该项目还通过研究先天性Prosopagnosia（脸盲）来研究发育如何中断。

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).