Facial emotion processing (FEP) develops throughout childhood and provides crucial social information necessary for the interpretation and prediction of others’ behaviour. This systematic review, which includes a meta-regression component, sought to explore the development of FEP event-related potentials (P100, N170, and late positive potential [LPP]) in children aged three to twelve years. Thirty-four studies, representing data from 1511 children, were included in the review. The combination of meta-regression and systematic review suggest that P100 amplitude decreases with increasing age in response to emotional facial stimuli. P100 latency may show a gradual decrease around the age of ten. In terms of the N170, it is suggested that amplitude follows a non-linear trend with age, and latency may decrease in early childhood before plateauing during middle childhood. Of note, review of the literature indicates that substantial methodological differences and high levels of heterogeneity exist. We suggest future research considers these results within the context of emotion-specific development, whilst also acknowledging how this may relate to individual social functioning skills across early-to-middle childhood.

面部情绪处理（FEP）在整个童年时期发展，并提供解释和预测他人行为所需的重要社会信息。这项系统综述包括元回归部分，旨在探索 3 至 12 岁儿童 FEP 事件相关电位（P100、N170 和晚期正电位 [LPP]）的发展。该评价纳入了 34 项研究，代表了 1511 名儿童的数据。元回归和系统评价相结合表明，P100 振幅随着年龄的增长而降低，以响应面部情绪刺激。P100潜伏期可能会在十岁左右逐渐减少。就 N170 而言，振幅随年龄呈非线性趋势，潜伏期可能在儿童早期减少，然后在儿童中期达到稳定水平。值得注意的是，文献综述表明存在显着的方法学差异和高度异质性。我们建议未来的研究在特定情绪发展的背景下考虑这些结果，同时也承认这可能与幼儿期至中期儿童的个人社会功能技能之间的关系。