What is it about?
We studied whether young infants were capable of perceiving changes in maternal emotional experience. We found that they were and we, thus, investigated whether this capability was influenced by infant sex, postnatal depression and maternal interactive style. One of the most interesting findings was that girls of mothers with postnatal depression were found to be more sensitive and to more readily perceive changes in maternal emotional experience. This findings is congruent with previous research with older infants and children.
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Why is it important?
It contributes to previous evidence showing that infants are readily involved with other people since their first months of life. Also, findings have implications for Developmental Psychopathology research and the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology.
Perspectives
I believe that this publication brings up the issue of infant ability for empathy and the need for further research on this topic. Infants seem to be capable for empathy, if empathy is defined as an ability based on immediate perception of another's emotion.
Dr Kornilia Hatzinikolaou
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
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This page is a summary of: Infant sensitivity to negative maternal emotional shifts: Effects of infant sex, maternal postnatal depression, and interactive style, Infant Mental Health Journal, September 2010, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/imhj.20265.
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