Final answer:
Preference for human faces emerges shortly after birth, indicating an innate interest that helps infants bond with caregivers and is crucial for survival and social development.
Step-by-step explanation:
- The preference for human faces begins b. Shortly after birth.
- Preference for human faces begins shortly after birth, as infants show recognition and interest in human faces.
- During the early stages of life, human babies are particularly drawn to faces. This is because the infancy period is a crucial time for sensory and perceptual development. From birth, infants show a significant preference for human faces over other patterns or objects. Research suggests that this preference for faces starts to develop within hours to a few days after birth. This early attraction is thought to be an evolutionary trait that enhances babies' ability to bond and communicate with caregivers, which is critical for their survival.
- As they grow, this initial preference also lays the foundation for social development and interpersonal relationships. The development of the preference for faces occurs much earlier than other cognitive milestones, such as the full development of the frontal lobes, which matures by 25 years old, or the awareness of sexual orientation, which typically develops in early adolescence. Recognition and interest in faces are among some of the earliest developmental occurrences, laying the groundwork for further growth during early childhood, which spans from ages 1 to 5.