Yes, it appears that babies stare at what adults consider beautiful faces.
Infants, specifically those 2 months and older, show a preference for attractive faces. Studies demonstrate that they spend more time looking at faces rated as attractive when paired with less attractive faces. This preference suggests an early ability to discriminate and a potential innate bias towards certain facial features.
| Finding | Source | Age Group |
|---|---|---|
| Preference for attractive faces | Langlois et al., 1987 | 2+ months |
| Preference for attractive faces | Samuels & Ewy, 1985 | 2+ months |
These findings, as noted by Langlois et al. (1987) and Samuels & Ewy (1985), indicate that even at a very young age, infants exhibit a visual preference for faces that adults typically perceive as attractive. This is evidence suggesting that babies have some type of facial representation that allows them to differentiate between attractive and non-attractive faces, and spend more time looking at the attractive ones.
