Biology and Cognitive Development: The Case of Face Recognition - Softcover

H. Johnson, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0631174540 ISBN 13: 9780631174547

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 1991

Synopsis

In this book, the authors attempt to show how a cognitive account of development can be derived from a biological basis, using the example of the development of face recognition. While some research has indicated that newborn infants possess information about the general characteristics of faces, teh majority of studies indicate that infants may take several months before they respond selectively to faces. Mark Johnson and John Marton examine the results of their own replication and extension of both sets of findings. Biology and Cognitive Development offers an important new theory of the development of face recognition and what it can tell us about the interaction between nature and nurture.

About this title

Review:

"Johnson and Morton have written a fascinating and important book. They have integrated findings from ethology, neuroscience, and experimental studies of human infants into a bold account of the early development of face perception. The implications of this landmark work go way beyond the story of the origins of face perception, "per se". This book should become the standard work of an emerging new field of scientific endeavour - developmental cognitive neuroscience." "Professor Susan Carey, Massachusetts Institute of Technology"

Synopsis:

In this book, the authors attempt to show how a cognitive account of development can be derived from a biological basis, using the example of the development of face recognition. While some research has indicated that newborn infants possess information about the general characteristics of faces, the majority of studies indicate that infants may take several months before they respond selectively to faces. Mark Johnson and John Morton examine these apparently paradoxical claims, and present the results of their own replication and extension of both sets of findings. To generate a cognitive theory that can accommodate these findings, the authors then turn to two sources of evidence from biology: evidence from other species, in particular the domestic chick; and from postnatal growth of the primate brain. They propose a theory of development of face recognition which involves two constructs, Conspec and Conlern. Conspec refers to information present in the newborn concerning the structural characteristics of faces, while Conlern refers to a variety of mechanisms that underlie the recognition of individual faces.

"Biology and Cognitive Development" offers an important new thoery of the development of face recognition and what it can tell us about the interaction between nature and nurture.

About this edition

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0631174540
• ISBN 13: 9780631174547
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192