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About this Post
- Age range: 0 to 3 months
- Developmental pillar:
- Physical and Brain Development
- Social and Emotional Development
- Learning and Cognitive Development
- Communication and Language Development
- Physical and Brain Development: How children develop
- Social and Emotional Development: How children feel and connect
- Learning and Cognitive Development: How children think and learn
- Communication and Language Development: How children communicate
Babies treat the sounds of crying differently from other sounds. In one study with 34-hour-old infants, infants cried often when hearing the sound of another newborn's cry. When these infants were in a quiet room or when they heard a cry-like sound (just as loud) made on a synthesizer, they cried less often. Some researchers believe that this ability is the foundation for empathy, which develops in the second year of life.
References
- Brothers, L. (1989). A biological perspective on empathy. American Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 10
- Sagi, A., & Hoffman, M. L. (1976). Empathetic distress in the newborn. Developmental Psychology, 12, 175

