Face recognition in children is described as improving to which age, plateauing to which age, possibly declining at which age, and then increasing again?

• A. Improve to 10, plateau to 14, decline at 12, then increase
• B. Improve to 12, plateau to 10, decline at 14, then increase
• C. Improve to 14, plateau to 10, decline at 12, then increase
• D. Improve to 10, plateau to 12, decline at 14, then increase

Answer: (A)

Face recognition in children follows a distinct developmental path: abilities improve through early childhood, reach a plateau during mid-childhood into the early teen years, may show a brief dip around early adolescence, and then increase again as maturation continues. The pattern described—improving to around age 10, plateauing up to about age 14, with a possible decline around age 12, then increasing once more—best fits this trajectory. This reflects how perceptual and memory systems for faces become more stable by early school age, show a temporary fluctuation during puberty, and then continue maturing into adulthood. Other patterns would require peaks or dips at different points or omit the mid-teen plateau and the late adolescence rise, which aren’t consistent with the typical development described in the literature.