The heart of this proposal investigates basic biobehavioral interactions in the human infant. Seventeen experiments are planned that will yield evidence about the roles of nature and nurture in human social and cognitive development. These goals will be accomplished by investigating the mechanisms underlying the pervasive preferences of infants, children, and adults for facial configurations that approach the average of the population. In a series of converging studies with newborns and older infants, we will examine whether these preferences are acquired through cognitive mechanisms as a result of experience with faces or whether they are present from birth. There are considerable theoretical reasons to believe that either is possible. The proposed research has implications for general theories of human development; for specific theories of cognitive and social development; and for theories of faces perception. The second goal is to begin to understand the processes by which infants associate certain faces with positive attributes and other faces with negative attributes. A series of ten studies with infants, therefore, investigates the generalization of positivity/ negativity from initial visual preferences for certain faces to """"""""theories"""""""" about people who differ in facial configuration. These studies have important applied and theoretical implications for understanding the development of stereotypes and for theories of social understanding. A third goal is to examine the consequences of appearance for children by examining how their facial appearance elicits differential socialization and treatment from parents, peers, and siblings. Although most parents will say that all their children are beautiful and are treated equally, our research shows that this is a myth. Indeed, some of our recent research suggests that facial appearance is related to child maltreatment. Six studies will examine differential parenting and peer relationships and will have implications for research on parent-child relationships, peer relationships, and child abuse. Finally, two studies will analyze the relationships between facial appearance and (1) physical health and (2) learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. These studies will provide data relevant to diagnoses and correlates of health status in both children and adults.
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