Sex Differences in Infant Attention Are Present Hours After Birth
Researchers found newborn girls looked longer at faces, while boys looked longer at objects, in a replication study of 130 infants.
- University of Cambridge researchers tested 130 newborns hours after birth, finding distinct visual preferences based on sex. Published in Biology of Sex Differences, the study reports female infants spent more time gazing at faces, while males preferred non-social objects.
- By presenting infants with videos of human faces and a swinging Newton's Cradle, researchers observed behaviors in a controlled environment before societal influence could shape development. The goal was to test if sex differences exist soon after birth.
- "The differences we see don't apply to all male or all female infants," said Deputy Director Professor Carrie Allison of the Autism Research Centre. Results represent group averages, with significant variation within each sex.
- Lead author Yumnah Khan noted it is "possible that early differences might help to explain effects such as why females acquire language faster- potentially due to heightened social interest at birth." Researchers aim to understand autism, diagnosed twice as often in boys.
- Assistant Research Professor Dr. Alex Tsompanidis cautioned: "Sex differences at birth are important as starting points, but we need to remember that they don't fully determine how children learn and develop in later life." A longitudinal follow-up study is underway.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Female infants show a natural preference for faces, while males prefer to look at objects.
An experiment with 130 newborns has revived an old debate about how biology and environment influence child development. Scientists from the University of Cambridge have found that girls and boys can differ in the way they direct their attention in the first hours after birth. Because the differences are observed so early, researchers believe that prenatal factors, including hormones and genetics, may play a role. The new study, published in the…
Boys and girls perceive the world around them differently, from their... birthmarks. A new study by a team of scientists from the University of Cambridge highlights the differences in the way newborn boys and girls respond to stimuli they receive from their external environment. The research, published in the scientific journal "Biology of Sex Differences", was carried out on 130 newborns and was conducted just a few hours after their birth. …
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