Is There an Innate Face-Detection Module in the Human Newborn? A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Theoretical Examination of the Newborn Face Preference and Its Implications

Reports of newborn face preference are widely cited as evidence for an innate face detector, yet the literature on this topic has not been systematically reviewed. We report a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies comparing newborns’ attention to facelike versus nonfacelike stimuli. We reviewed 15 publications reporting 22 experiments, of which five tested face-naive newborns (≤ 1 hr postnatal). Robust preference was observed for one facelike stimulus, but not another. Seventeen experiments tested face-experienced newborns (2–7 days postnatal), mostly reporting moderate-to-large face-preference effects. Moderate heterogeneity was observed in the 11 experiments amenable to meta-analysis. Interpretations supporting innate face-detector models rested on discounting the potential role of postnatal learning, a flawed reinterpretation of a foundational result, or both. Resultant misattributions of this result in the secondary literature have in aggregate created a dominant narrative of a robust, consistent evidence base. This overstates the evidence. Although our results do not prove the negative, the evidence reviewed here provides limited, inconsistent support for a general inborn face preference or a dedicated innate face-detection module. We highlight the need for more precise theoretical models, rigorous tests, and cautious interpretations, and for re-evaluation of how newborn face-preference results have been interpreted.