Babies Who Notice Fearful Looks Grow Up to Be More Compassionate Toddlers, Study Finds

by Shahrzad WarkentinFebruary 17, 2021

Getting your three-year-old to agree with you can sometimes feel like negotiating with a foreign diplomat who doesn’t speak the same language. Still, there are times when your tots will surprise you with the occasional “yes.” It’s definitely a challenge to figure out how to raise cooperative toddlers, but according to one study, some might be more prone to being agreeable than others.

The study by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences and the University of Virginia found that certain behaviors in babies could predict whether or not they would grow up to be cooperative toddlers. The study concluded that babies who paid attention to fearful faces in adults were more likely to be altruistic as toddlers and preschoolers, and altruism is considered a key component in cooperative behavior.

The study measured infants’ responses to fear in others at seven months old by tracking eye movement. Babies were exposed to faces that displayed several emotions including fear, happiness and anger. They later looked at the same babies’ altruistic behavior at 14 months. Responding to happy or angry faces was not linked to altruism later, but a response to the fearful faces was.

“From early in development, variability in altruistic helping behavior is linked to our responsiveness to seeing others in distress and brain processes implicated in attentional control. These findings critically advance our understanding of the emergence of altruism in humans by identifying responsiveness to fear in others as an early precursor contributing to variability in prosocial behavior,” said Tobias Grossmann, the lead author of the study and research team leader.

If you find that your baby takes note when you look terrified that you just ran out of coffee or panicked when you accidentally spill that freshly pumped milk, it could be a sign of calmer, more cooperative days ahead.

Can Wearing a Mask Empower Your Child?

By Gay Cioffi

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

August 21, 2020

Photo: Gay Cioffi

The one word that I have heard repeatedly from friends and family as they describe their emotional state during this difficult time is “helpless.” As we cope with the various consequences of the spread of the Coronavirus, we are all grappling with the feeling of a loss of control.

For young children, that feeling may be magnified as they react to school closings, social isolation, and a myriad of other changes to their daily lives. Add in the stress of witnessing their parents struggle with this “new normal,” and if asked, they too might use the word “helpless” to describe their emotional state.

While many things are unknown about the spread of this disease, we do know that wearing a mask, to protect ourselves and others from infection, is the number one action that we can take.

Last spring, when some restrictions were lifted for local businesses, we took my then three and a half-year-old granddaughter to the neighborhood shoe store to get new sneakers. Before venturing out, it was explained to her that she needed to wear a mask—just like her mom and grandmother—so that we could stay safe from germs. It was also emphasized that while staying safe ourselves, we could also be “helpers” to keep others safe as well. And without much resistance, she complied.

When we explain to children that they too have a role to play in stopping the spread of the disease by wearing a mask, this protects them physically but also psychologically. Giving them a concrete action to perform helps to eliminate or minimize their feelings of helplessness. It lets them know that even though COVID-19 is causing problems, there is, in fact, something that we can do about it. And children love feeling that they are part of a solution; it appeals to their natural instincts for optimism and altruism while helping to reduce their anxiety.

These are tough times for all of us, especially kids. While it may seem like a small thing, mask-wearing is vital in stopping the spread of infection while at the same time providing children with some semblance of control. That’s a good thing.

Stay strong and stay safe.

This post originally appeared on We know masks protect us physically, but how do they help with mental health?, www.littlefolksbigquestions.com.

Gay Cioffi

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.

This Study Shows That Even Babies Practice Altruism

by Jennifer SwartvagherMarch 6, 2020

A 19-month-old picks up a delicious snack, but instead of eating it they hand it over to an adult who wants it. You may think this is an isolated case, but now imagine dozens of babies giving away their treats as well. According to a study that tests the beginning of altruism in humans published on Tuesday, that is exactly what happened.

The babies “looked longingly at the fruit, and then they gave it away!” said Andrew Meltzoff, co-director of the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, in a statement. “We think this captures a kind of baby-sized version of altruistic helping.”

Meltzoff and his team studied nearly 100 babies who were 19 months old, a time when many babies are starting to have temper tantrums, especially when told no, according to the American Academy of Pediatricians (PDF). As they approach the “Terrible Twos” developmentally these babies are more likely to act out by hitting, biting, or scratching when denied what they want.

Studies show that food sharing among non-human primates is rare. When they do share, it appears to be among close relatives, or when they think it will benefit them by strengthening relationships with other chimps outside their inner circle.

In our society, humans often respond to people in need of food through donating to food banks, fundraising or simply sharing their lunch or snack. This study delves into the question; when does altruism begin?

Using favorites such as blueberries, bananas and grapes, the study tested whether the infants would give their food to a total stranger without being asked.

After showing the baby a piece of fruit, the researcher gently tossed it onto a tray on the floor which was within the baby’s reach but beyond the researcher’s grasp.In the control group, the researcher did not show any emotion.

The test group, called the “Begging Experimenter Group” had the researcher appear to toss the fruit accidentally and then unsuccessfully try to reach it.

If the baby was in the test group, called the “Begging Experimenter Group,” the researcher appeared to toss the fruit accidentally and then tried unsuccessfully to reach for it.

According to the study, more than half of the babies in the test group picked up the fruit and gave it to the adult. Only 4% of the babies in the control group did the same.

In a second experiment, a different group of 19-month-old babies were tested at their normal snack or meal time. Since this was a time when the babies were typically used to eating, the researchers wanted to test if they would keep the fruit for themselves.

The babies in the control group did keep the fruit, but 37% of the babies in the test group gave the fruit away to the hungry adult.

Psychologist Mark Strauss, who directs the Infant and Toddler Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh, said “we really don’t know that the differential behavior between the two groups has to do with food. It could be that the toddlers recognize in the ‘begging condition’ that the adult didn’t want to drop and they are being helpful.

Strauss, who was not involved in the study said, “Finally, given that the children may not have been hungry. There really is no evidence that the children are being altruistic, but rather just being helpful.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo by Daria Shevtsova via Pexels

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Here’s Why You Should Always Laugh at Your Kid’s Jokes—Yes, Even the Bad Ones

by Shahrzad WarkentinJuly 4, 2019

Want to raise an empathetic, problem-solving adult? Laugh at your kids’ jokes, experts suggest.

Dr. Emma Byrne, author of Swearing is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language, explained to Romper that kids as young as eight months old will attempt to make their parents and caregivers laugh. The best thing parents can do in return? Let out a good chuckle! Kids tell jokes and do funny things in an effort to make you happy, which means it comes from a place of pure altruism, not a place of just attention-seeking.

photo: Brooke Cagle via Unsplash

Rewarding that behavior by laughing and showing enjoyment from their actions will therefore encourage your kids to be more empathetic as they grow older, Byrne explains. Basically your kids just want to make you happy by making you smile so when you smile and laugh in return, they are encouraged to continue doing things that make others feel good.

Byrne said the key here is “Showing that you appreciate their effort, that you recognize that they…are trying so hard to make you happy, to make you smile.”

Raising kids to be humorous has plenty of other benefits as well. Studies have linked having a sense of humor to higher emotional intelligence. Research has also shown that being funny can lead to positive perceptions by others and an increase in self-confidence. Laughter and humor have also been linked with stability in relationships and marriage.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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ML Interest Tag: altruism

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