Development of social cognition in infants: a study by measuring autonomic nervous system activity

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23369
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0110:Psychology and related fields
• Research Institution: Chuo University
• Principal Investigator: Tsuji Yuki 中央大学, 文学部, 特別研究員(PD) (50847184)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 乳児 / 社会的発達 / 瞳孔径 / 同調現象 / 皮膚電気反応 / 人種効果

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated pupil contagion in infants, to clarify the development of social cognition. We measured pupil diameter and skin conductance responses, as indicators of autonomic nervous system activity. First, we found the face inversion effect of pupil contagion in 5-6-month-old infants. Second, to clarify the emotional response to pupil contagion, we measured the skin conductance response indicating the emotional response during pupil contagion in infants. We found that infant pupil diameter increased in response to dilating pupils of others and that the skin conductance response increased correspondingly. Lastly, we found that the face-inversion effect does not occur in 5-6-month-old infants' pupil contagion in other-race faces, that is, the other-race effect of the face occurs in the pupil contagion.

Free Research Field

認知神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、乳児の瞳孔径の同調現象に着目し、瞳孔径や皮膚電気反応を自律神経系の活動として計測することで社会的認知の発達を明らかにすることを試みた。その結果、乳児は拡大する瞳孔径に対して瞳孔径の同調現象が生じ、情動反応を示す皮膚電気反応が増加することを明らかにした。これは、生後1年未満のうちに他者との相互作用が生理反応レベルで生じていることを示す。さらにこの生理反応レベルの相互作用は、情動反応が伴っており、社会的認知の発達に寄与している可能性が示唆された。