“My siblings would say Jackson was an excellent judge of character, even at two weeks!” The research does show, according to Bloom, that children just a few months old can judge a person's character – siding with the “good” puppet and not with the “bad” puppet.
So yes, babies feel empathy. Yes, they begin life prepared to show kindness and concern toward people in trouble.
Fear of strangers is very common. It happens as your baby develops a healthy attachment to familiar people – like you. Because babies prefer familiar adults, they might react to strangers by crying or fussing, going very quiet, looking fearful or hiding.
Human infants, just a few days of age, are known to prefer attractive human faces.
In fact, the studies confirmed that babies can tell if an adult is anger-prone, and they may even try to change their behavior to appease that person. "Our research suggests that babies will do whatever they can to avoid being the target of anger.
Somewhere around 2 months of age, baby will look at you and flash a full-on smile that's guaranteed to make your heart swell. Doctors call that kind of smile a “social smile” and describe it as one that's “either a reaction, or trying to elicit a reaction,” Stavinoha says. In other words, baby is interacting with you!
Studies suggest that babies do not always prefer female faces, but, in fact, show a strong preference for human faces of the same gender as the primary caregiver. Since most babies are primarily cared for by females, most babies prefer to look at female faces.
And research suggests that babies evaluate people in much the same way, preferring people who like the same foods, clothes, and toys that they like. This preference helps us to form social bonds, but it can also have a dark side.
Other than their curiosity, the baby's gaze may also mean they're trying to communicate. As early as three months, babies learn to recognize their parents or primary caregivers. And there staring is their way to communicate.
A study done by a group of university professors showed that babies often stare at people because they think they are attractive. In the study, babies were shown two pictures: one of a person considered beautiful and one of an individual who wasn't considered attractive.
When children like some people more than others, it's not really because those people are more trustworthy; it's because like everyone else, children gravitate towards people who are happy and confident. People who believe they are attractive are usually more happy and confident.
Research suggests that babies are indeed affected by parental squabbles, and exposure to chronic conflict may affect brain development. Experimental studies confirm that babies can sense when their mothers are distressed, and the stress is contagious.
Sense Emotions
Infants are sensitive to emotion. "By the time newborns are just a few months old, they recognize the difference between a happy expression and a sad one," says Alison Gopnik, Ph. D., author of The Philosophical Baby. Around their first birthday, a child can even sense how other people feel.
It's generally thought that empathy proper begins to show itself in the second year of life (Liddle et al, 2015). But it could be there a lot earlier. Research with eight-month-old babies showed that when one of them was in distress, the others took action so their mate got help more quickly.
One of the earliest signs of an intelligent baby is a high level of alertness. Such babies are also very aware of their environments and loved ones, quickly recognising and bonding with family members.
Babies often prefer their primary caregiver
Most babies naturally prefer the parent who's their primary caregiver, the person they count on to meet their most basic and essential needs. This is especially true after 6 months when separation anxiety starts to set in.
These findings show that our preference for attractive people isn't something we develop overtime but is innate and hardwired from birth, which challenges the idea that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." So if you're one of those people babies tend to stare at, congrats! You're most likely a babe.
While a baby's first attachment is often with their mother, the bonds that babies form with their fathers are just as important. Though babies form attachment relationships with other adults who care for them, the bonds with their parents are the most important ones.
According to Californian clinical psychologist Dr. Forrest Talley, babies stare at the faces of strangers as part of a natural adaptive response that helps them learn about emotions and allows them to develop a foundation for future socialization.
They learn that faces can signal emotions like happy, sad or angry. They learn that faces have names, like “mom”, “dad”, or “auntie.” Finally, babies learn that when mom or dad is looking at something they might want to turn around and look there too.
Gentle touch: Babies love and crave touch, as well as your attention. So snuggling with your little one, holding them gently, engaging in skin-to-skin contact, caressing their face, holding their hands, or touching their toes are all beautiful ways to bond.
Your baby finds comfort in your arms
When an infant can be soothed by your voice or physical comfort, this is another way she shows she trusts you. Infants identify caretakers by sight, smell, and sound, and when any of these provide a level of comfort to a baby it is evidence of an established bond.
When your baby gazes into your eyes when they're in your arms, it's baby's way of expressing they're attracted to you, and want to get to know you even better. Babies will try to copy your facial expressions, test it out by sticking out your tongue when baby is gazing at you, they may well copy.
When they feel that they need a break from too many sights and sounds, they may look away. As they get older, their whole head may turn from you. Do not feel rejected when your baby looks away; this is a normal part of your baby's development and one way for them to control how aroused or excited they become.