| Abstract: | Previous studies have demonstrated that 1-yr-old infants look toward their mothers' facial expressions and use the emotional information conveyed. In this study, 46 1-yr-olds were confronted with an unusual toy in a context where an experimenter familiar to the infants posed either happy or fearful expressions and where their mothers were present but did not provide facial signals. Results indicate that most of the Ss (83%) referenced the familiarized stranger. Once the adult's facial signals were noted, the S's instrumental behaviors and expressive responses to the toy were influenced in the direction of the affective valence of the adult's expression. It is suggested that infants may be influenced by the emotional expressions of a much broader group of adults than has previously been recognized. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
