Non-Linear Changes in Face Availability During Naturalistic Playtime Across the First Years: Insights From Head-Mounted Cameras and Automated Face Detection.

ABSTRACT: Faces provide crucial input for early development. This study leveraged innovations in wearable head-mounted cameras (headcams; specifically, TinyExplorer gear) and automated face detection (RetinaFace) to characterise the everyday visual availability of faces during playtime in the home environment across the first years. Using a cross-sectional developmental trajectory design, we collected egocentric headcam data from 29 young children across the first 3 years of life (2-30 months). The dataset comprised 1,891 minutes of video (over 5.5 million frames). We examined cross-sectional developmental trajectories in face availability, spatial distribution, size and size variability. We observed distinct non-linear changes in face availability across three vertically defined regions of the egoc

SUBMITTER: Nikolov TY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12836453 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature