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Published on: April 19, 2017
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Jealousy in 6-Month-Old Infants.
Sybil Hart1, Heather Carrington1
1Department of Human Development and Family Studies Texas Tech University.
Summary
Six-month-old infants showed more negative reactions when mothers focused on a baby doll compared to a book. This suggests early jealousy may emerge by six months of age.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Infant Social Behavior
Background:
- Jealousy is a complex emotion typically studied in older children and adults.
- Understanding the origins of social emotions in infancy is crucial for developmental research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of early jealousy in 6-month-old infants.
- To examine infant responses to maternal attention directed towards different objects.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-two 6-month-old infants participated in the study.
- Mothers interacted with their infants, then attended to a baby doll and a book in separate conditions.
- Infant emotional responses were observed and recorded.
Main Results:
- Infants displayed greater negativity when their mothers attended to the baby doll.
- Infant negativity was less pronounced when mothers attended to the book.
- The findings suggest a differential response based on the social nature of the object of maternal attention.
Conclusions:
- The study provides evidence for an early form of jealousy in infants as young as 6 months.
- Maternal attention to a social stimulus, like a baby doll, appears to elicit jealousy-like responses.
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