During the first hours after birth, newborns show a significant preference for which type of stimulus?

During the first hours after birth, newborns show a significant preference for which type of stimulus?

• A. Attractive faces
• B. Unattractive faces
• C. Static patterns
• D. Moving objects

Answer: (A)

From birth, infants are wired to attend to faces, especially those with typical, appealing facial features. This preference for face-like stimuli helps them pick up social cues and bond with caregivers, which is crucial in the earliest hours of life. Faces provide rich information—eye contact, mouth movement, symmetry—that’s easier for a newborn to process than non-face patterns or simple moving objects. While moving objects can grab attention, the strongest and most reliable preference in those first hours is for attractive, face-like stimuli because they are socially meaningful and easier to interpret.

From birth, infants are wired to attend to faces, especially those with typical, appealing facial features. This preference for face-like stimuli helps them pick up social cues and bond with caregivers, which is crucial in the earliest hours of life. Faces provide rich information—eye contact, mouth movement, symmetry—that’s easier for a newborn to process than non-face patterns or simple moving objects. While moving objects can grab attention, the strongest and most reliable preference in those first hours is for attractive, face-like stimuli because they are socially meaningful and easier to interpret.