Infant learning ability for recognizing artificially produced three-dimensional faces and objects.

This study investigated infants' ability to learn artificially produced three-dimensional faces and non-face objects by using the three-dimensional graphic software. We created three-dimensional faces and non-face objects that contained no texture or fixed light source and used a familiarization-novelty preference procedure to familiarize infants with multiple views of a face or a shoe (non-face object). We set two familiarization presentations: one of sequentially rotating images of a single object (rotating presentation) and another of 6 different static view images (static presentation). After familiarization, we checked infants' recognition of the learning objects between these conditions. In Experiment 1, we examined the infants' ability to learn face and non-face objects in static and rotating presentations. Results showed that 6- to 8-month-old infants could learn the non-face objects in both presentations, while they could not learn the faces in the rotating presentation. In Experiments 2 and 3, we modified the rotating presentation for face learning. In Experiment 2, we used three-quarter views at test. In Experiment 3, we set a slower speed rotation. However, the infants still could not learn the faces. These results showed that infants' ability to learn faces differs from their ability to learn non-face objects.