Toddlers change behaviour according to emotions detected

Posted on October 9, 2014

New research discovers the capabilities of a toddler greatly exceed what many adults believe is possible. The study by researchers at the University of Washington (UW) finds that children as young as 15 months are able to detect adult emotions and use the clues to guide their own behavior.

In this study, researchers found that toddlers who aren’t yet speaking can use visual and social cues to understand other people — that’s sophisticated cognitive skills for 15-month-olds.

The researchers also measured the origins of self-control and found that most of the toddlers were able to regulate their behavior. But they also discovered huge individual variability, which they think will predict differences in children as they grow up and may even predict important aspects of school readiness.

This finding suggests toddlers’ impulsive tendencies may go hand in hand with their tendency to ignore other people’s anger. This observation could lead to the development of an early warning sign for children who may become less willing to abide by rules.

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Source material from Psych Central