Social behaviours
Babies already have the makings of being social creatures. They also shape the way we respond to them by the way they behave.
Relationships are the main source of childhood socialisation and the kinds of relationships we have shape the temperament we are born with and so develop our personality
Select the images below to learn more about baby behaviours.
Sucking - non-nutritive sucking is sucking that does not result in getting any nutrients. Sucking in this way helps soothe some babies, so a dummy, comforter or a babies own fingers and thumb may be sometimes be more helpful than feeding the baby.
Cuddling - close physical contact is important for babies and small children. Harlow showed in a famous experiment with young orphaned monkeys that they prefer soft physical contact to food.
Looking - babies make eye contact with parents and carers as a signal for a social response which they find rewarding. If there is no response the baby is disturbed. This has implications. For example if a parent has depression or is too preoccupied to respond to the baby, the baby will become distressed and may eventually give up trying to make eye contact.
Smiling - this is innate behaviour and is very rewarding for adults. Rewarding smiles with lots of attention reinforces the behaviour. Babies who have limited vision, or no vision at all, will still smile and respond to the positive results this brings.
