more on babies' preferences

[Annette Karmiloff-Smith]

Here are a few more responses I received to the question below, since
some of you have asked me to post them.
>>Annette
>>I know there is research showing that infants prefer "beautiful"
>>(symmetrical) faces over others, but is there research showing that
>>they prefer children's faces over adult ones, or female over male
>>etc.? Or other such preferences?  Idem with voices.  I know they
>>can discriminate, and believe that they prefer motherese over
>>adult-directed speech, but do they show preference for child voices
>>over adult, female over male, etc.?
>>All info most appreciated.
>>thanks
>>Annette


From: Roberta <roberta at UDel.Edu>
Subject: Re: Feedback on faces
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I'm a little late here Annette but Mike Lewis had a paper in Child
Devel years ago about how babies love to look at live children over
live adults. He even used midgets as I recall to separate the stature
from the facial features. Wish I had the exact site but I don't alas.
Maybe Michael has a web site with his vita.
All best,
Roberta


From: Alan Slater <A.M.Slater at exeter.ac.uk>
Annette,
To add to your collection:
Singh, L., Morgan, J.L. & Best, C.T. (2002).  Infants'
listening preferences: baby talk or happy talk.  Infancy,
vol 3(issue 3), 365-394.  They give experimental evidence
that the preference for baby talk (BT) over adult-directed
(AD) speech is actually a preference for the more positive
affect that usually accompanies BT.  When the affect is
reversed there's then a preference for AD.
Hope this helps!
Alan

From: Sarah Fletcher <slflet at liverpool.ac.uk>
Annette
I can tell you that, in adults, female faces may be preferred as
attractive due to facial neoteny. This has been a suggested sexually
selected trait. However, perhaps babies/infants may prefer neotenous
faces aswell, therefore preferring female to male? I don't however
think there is a reference for work with infants on this.
Sarah Fletcher
Research Assistant (Language and Literacy Development)
Department of Psychology
The University of Liverpool
Room 240 Eleanor Rathbone Building
Bedford Street South
Liverpool
L69 7ZA
Tel: 01517941111