Research Lab

The Nelson Lab

How do babies learn to read emotion in the faces around them?

In the video below, Dr. Nelson discusses what we know about how infants develop the ability to read emotion in faces, a key skill of navigating their social world. In addition to the typical development of this ability, which includes an early bias toward fearful faces, Dr. Nelson discusses the implications for children who have suffered from neglect or abuse, and children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.