Final answer:
The incorrect statement is that newborns do not have a preference for human faces, as they do show this preference shortly after birth. Newborns also prefer human voices, particularly their mother's, and have a developed sense of smell. Vision is less developed but improves quickly after birth.
Step-by-step explanation:
One statement about the sensory abilities of babies that is not true is that newborns have a preference for human faces. In fact, newborns do show a preference for faces and this is evident within a few days of birth. They also demonstrate a preference for human voices, in particular, their mother's voice, as indicated by studies such as Vouloumanos & Werker (2004) and Mills & Melhuish (1974). Babie's sense of smell is strong enough to distinguish the scent of their own mother among others shortly after birth.
While the vision of newborn infants is the least developed sense at birth, there is still a clear preference for looking at faces over other patterns or objects. Moreover, the ability to see in three dimensions, or depth perception, is not present at birth and develops as the infant grows and becomes mobile. Color perception in newborns is limited but improves rapidly with age, and studies have shown that newborns can indeed distinguish some colors, like red.
Therefore, the erroneous statement among those provided regarding the sensory abilities of newborns is that they do not have a preference for human faces.