Infants' neural processing of emotional faces after ostracism.

ABSTRACT: Ostracism, a stressful experience that threatens human psychological needs, such as self-esteem and sense of belonging, significantly affects adults' processing of social cues at both the neurophysiological and behavioral levels. However, research about the effects of ostracism on infants remains extremely scarce. The current study investigated how self-experienced ostracism and inclusion influence the neural response of 13-month-old infants (N = 36; 53% males; mostly White) to emotional faces. Infants were included or ostracized in a live triadic ball-tossing game and subsequently presented with dynamic emotional faces (i.e., happy, fearful, and angry faces) while their electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded. Results revealed that ostracism altered infants' neural responses.

SUBMITTER: Quadrelli E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12322112 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature