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Even Infants Understand That Sharing Food Reflects Intimacy by Emma Johnson
Updated: Jan. 27, 2022
Originally Published: Jan. 24, 2022
It might sound gross, but it’s true: children learn about the relationships around them through observing saliva-sharing behaviors, as a recent study reveals. How do infants and toddlers differentiate between family members and strangers? How do they instinctively know who will offer help in times of need? According to the study published in Science, even very young children gather insights about their social environment by watching interactions that involve sharing saliva—whether through kissing, sharing food, or even wiping a child’s face with saliva.
The research, led by psychologist Alex Harper at the University of California, shows that infants, toddlers, and young children pick up on these saliva-sharing signals to gauge caregiving dynamics. “This research demonstrates that even at a very young age, infants are discerning not just who is connected to whom, but also the nature of those connections,” says Harper.
In the study, children from three age groups (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers) were shown two video scenarios. One depicted a woman engaging with a puppet, taking a bite of an orange slice, and then sharing it with the puppet. In the other scenario, the woman spoke to the puppet and handed it a ball, after which the puppet began to cry. The researchers found that the length of time the infants looked at the woman when the puppet cried indicated that they expected her to offer help more readily after sharing the orange slice—suggesting that saliva-sharing created a stronger bond.
Dr. Lisa Camden, a psychologist at the University of Texas, who discussed the study in an accompanying article in Science, posits that this recognition of saliva-sharing may be an innate mechanism, highlighting its significance for infants. However, further research is necessary to validate this theory.
While the study has limitations—such as involving only a few hundred participants and lacking cultural diversity—it emphasizes that children can form meaningful relationships with caregivers who do not share saliva, like daycare providers and teachers. “We don’t expect daycare professionals to form the same attachments as those found in familial relationships,” Harper notes. “Nonetheless, they play a vital role in child development and deserve higher recognition and compensation.”
So, the next time you kiss a loved one or share a fork with your little one, remember that your child is keenly observing and learning about familial bonds.
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Summary:
A recent study highlights that even infants and toddlers can discern relationships based on saliva-sharing behaviors, such as sharing food or kissing. This understanding helps them identify who might provide care or assistance. While the research has limitations, it underscores the significance of caregiving relationships beyond just saliva-sharing, emphasizing the essential roles of daycare teachers and caregivers.