Distress crying in neonates: Species and peer specificity.

Two experiments replicated the results of a series of earlier studies by A. Sagi and M. L. Hoffman (see record 1976-12035-001) and M. L. Simner (see record 1971-28677-001). 70 newborn infants participated. Calm infants cried in response to the tape-recorded crying of other infants. In addition, results show the following: (a) Crying infants continued to cry in response to the crying of another infant. (b) Crying infants who heard their own cry almost completely stopped crying. (c) Calm infants who heard their own cry made practically no response. (d) Calm infants simply ignored the cries of a chimpanzee and older child. It is concluded that these behaviors are peer and species specific. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)