Sensitivity to face animacy and inversion in childhood: Evidence from EEG data

Adults exhibit relative behavioral difficulties in processing inanimate, artificial faces compared to real human faces, with implications for using research and designing social agents. However, the developmental trajectory of inanimate face perception is unknown. To address this gap, we used electroencephalography investigate cross-sectional groups 5–10-year-old children adults. A inversion manipulation was test whether animacy relies on expert strategies. Groups 5-7-year-olds (N = 18), 8-10-year-olds adults 16) watched pictures or doll presented an upright inverted orientation. Analyses event-related potentials revealed larger N170 amplitudes response irrespective age group Thus, sensitive by 5–7 years age, but such sensitivity may not reflect high-level, processing. Multivariate pattern analyses EEG signal additionally assessed information could be reliably extracted during Face orientation, animacy, decoded from occipitotemporal channels whole scalp adults, children. Together, these results suggest that 5-10-year-old some over regions comparable