AN OWN-AGE BIAS IN YOUNG ADULTS' FACIAL AGE JUDGMENTS

The present study examined the influence of differential experience with own- and other-age faces on adults’ facial age judgment abilities. In Experiment 1, Chinese participants were asked to make age estimates (i.e., in years) for faces within three Asian stimulus age groups: children, young adults, and middle-age adults. Participants showed the greatest differentiation in their age estimates for own-age young adult stimulus faces relative to the child and middle-age adult stimulus facial age groups. Thus, participants’ age estimates for own-age young adult faces appear to be more refined relative to their age estimates for other-age faces. In Experiment 2, the same pattern of results was replicated with a group of Japanese participants. The role of differential experience with own- and other-age individuals in shaping facial age perception is discussed.