Eight-month-old infants' behavioral responses to peers' emotions as related to the asymmetric frontal cortex activity.

ABSTRACT: Infants are sensitive to and converge emotionally with peers' distress. It is unclear whether these responses extend to positive affect and whether observing peer emotions motivates infants' behaviors. This study investigates 8-month-olds' asymmetric frontal EEG during peers' cry and laughter, and its relation to approach and withdrawal behaviors. Participants observed videos of infant crying or laughing during two separate sessions. Frontal EEG alpha power was recorded during the first, while infants' behaviors and emotional expressions were recorded during the second session. Facial and vocal expressions of affect suggest that infants converge emotionally with their peers' distress, and, to a certain extent, with their happiness. At group level, the crying peer elicited right lateralized

SUBMITTER: Crespo-Llado MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6249297 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature