Abstract:
Recent developments in the field of face perception indicate a strong correlation between the processing of faces and their spatial positioning. This correlation is demonstrated through a unique facial illusion known as the “Fat Face” illusion. In this illusion, when two identical faces are vertically aligned, the one at the bottom is consistently perceived as larger. This phenomenon suggests that our visual system implicitly infers the proximity of faces based on their vertical positioning. The face positioned lower in the picture plane is perceived as being closer and, consequently, appears larger than the face at the top. Utilizing this illusion as an experimental paradigm, I will present studies that illustrate how social information influences our perception of facial proximity and how this perception develops from childhood to adulthood. These findings underscore that proximity is a crucial element in our facial representations and it undergoes extended development, likely influenced by increasing experience with faces.
Introduction:
Dr. Gabriel (Naiqi) Xiao is an Assistant Professor (tenure track) in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior at McMaster University (Canada). Prior to this appointment in 2020, Dr. Xiao received his Ph.D. degree at the University of Toronto (Canada) in 2016 and worked as a post-doctoral associate at Princeton University (*) from 2017 to 2019.
Dr. Xiao is a leading researcher with an established international reputation in early perceptual-social development. His research aims to understand how real-world experiences shape cognitive abilities in the early stages of life. A key aspect of human development is our ability to adapt to the environment. This adaptation enables infants to explore the world and lay the groundwork for language and social skills that will emerge later in life. It is vital to understand these processes both theoretically and practically, as they have important implications for detecting and treating developmental disorders. To achieve these research goals, Dr. Xiao’s lab uses various research methods such as infant-friendly behavioral tasks, eye-tracking, computational modeling, and neonate/infant-friendly neuroimaging techniques (functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, fNIRS). Besides using classical research paradigms to study cognitive development, his lab has also pioneered innovations in research methodology by developing several research software.
Dr. Xiao is currently holding the Tier-2 Canada Research Chair (a position awarded to 837 scientists across Canada) for his contributions to advancing the understanding of early perceptual and social development. Dr. Xiao was also appointed as an Affiliated Research Fellow, International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN) at The University of Tokyo (Japan) from 2021 to 2023. He joined editorial board of Infancy in 2023.
Over the past five years, Dr. Xiao has published 16 peer-reviewed articles (including in-press articles). Most of these papers are published in top psychological and neuroscience journals, such as Psychological Science, Child Development, Developmental Science, Cognition, Developmental Psychology, JEP:HPP, and Cerebral Cortex. His publications have been cited over 1000 times (h-index: 17).
Since 2020, Dr. Xiao’s research projects have been funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grant, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grant, Canadian Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund, Canada Research Chair, Tier 2, as well as multiple university internal fundings.