Three-month-olds show a negativity bias in their social evaluations.
Previous research has shown that 6-month-olds evaluate others on the basis of their social behaviors--they are attracted to prosocial individuals, and avoid antisocial individuals (Hamlin, Wynn & Bloom, 2007). The current studies investigate these capacities prior to 6 months of age. Results from two experiments indicate that even 3-month-old infants evaluate others based on their social behavior towards third parties, and that negative social information is developmentally privileged.
Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. kiley.hamlin@yale.edu
J Kiley
JK
Hamlin
Karen
K
Wynn
Paul
P
Bloom
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012919:Social Behavior