[Processes in object categorization during development--differences and similarities with face processing].
Previous research on face processing showed a developmental trend from analytic to holistic processing. This developmental trend was due to increasing knowledge about faces with increasing age. In contrast, research on object processing revealed that analytic processing could occur in any age group. The goal of the present study was to test to what extent objects that are familiar to children could also induce holistic processing and whether the processing depends on the orientation of the objects--as it is in face processing. Children (6 to 11 years) and adults were instructed to classify upright and inverted objects (birds and planes) into two categories. The construction of the categories allowed participants to categorize the objects either analytically or holistically. The results showed a developmental trend from analytic to holistic processing, regardless of the objects' orientation. These findings indicate parallels as well as differences in the development of face and object processing.