This type of reaction is not unique to babies or children. It is common in adults and seems to be hard wired into us. If we reach out to someone for an extended period of time and they don't respond in a kind and loving way we tend to lash out and try various approaches to get their attention. Failing this we fall victim to returning the same behaviour to the one sharing it with us. In this way we often build walls between our loved ones in relationships.
I always show this video to my clients when they start Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Couple counselling - it very quickly focuses our work on the the central focus of EFT - attachment . Most people can easily identify with this wonderful video - which is why it is so helpful. I first saw it at EFT training with Sue Johnson - luv it !! thanks sue !!
I'm currently writing my thesis on something involving the still-face task and Dr. Tronick is my version of a celebrity right now. I think I need to get out more.
I could not be that strong. I couldn't keep a straight face not even for 30 seconds if a baby was smiling at me and reaching out for me. I would crack a smile immediately.
I could not be that strong. I couldn't keep a straight face not even for 30 seconds if a baby was smiling at me and reaching out for me. I would crack a smile immediately.
@numnumon we watched another video of this experiment in our developmental psych lecture today, with a 24 week old baby (just under 6 months old). Same results, except the baby got upset quicker than this one.
@amelialolz Guess a smaller baby's gonna be less confident/more dependent on his/her mom. Human babies might not have as much inborn abilities as your average little animal, but recent research has shown that they DO come with quite a lot of "software". In other words, babies are people, too.
We are learning about attachment in infancy in my Lifespan class, and the professor suggested we check out this experiment. It's quite fascinating to see how the baby reacts when the mother turns off her responsivity to all of the baby's behavioral cues. Even to the point of becoming distressed. Great narration of the observation.
@mcrcrazedfan18 This relates to attachment given the fact that by this type of behavior displayed by the mother in when she is interacting is a form of secure attachment. and the latter demonstrates insecure attachment. Yes, no doubt painful to watch yet many caregivers display this behavior because they themselves had experiences of some sort of insecure attachment. The primary caregiver is a infant's first relationship and is vital in their adulthood.
The amazing thing about babies is how pure their emotions are. Because they haven't learned to hide their feelings, every emotion you see on their face comes strait from the heart. The only things that's more amazing is the mother's face while she's trying to remain emotionless. She mirrors the distress that her child shows, but it's so subtle you can miss it the first time... But she's honestly just as upset as the poor kid. The best example is when the baby cries and she tenses up all at once.
Why are people so upset about this? haha, I mean it was 2 minutes that the baby will not remember, and its not like she was punching the baby in the face or anything.
I would like to see this research done with a much younger infant. I thought the baby here was old enough that the response would be expected. It is no surprise that the baby reacted this way. I would like to see this done with an attached (and also not attached) 6 month old or younger.
I would like to this research with a much younger infant. I thought the baby here was old enough that the response would be expected. It is no surprise that the baby reacted this way. I would like to this with an attached (and not attached) 6 month old or younger.
Yeah, I feel bad for the baby, but she's gonna forget about mommy's "still face" in less than an hour. I feel worse for the mother, she looked like she was having a really hard time and she'll remember doing that forever.
@Zaidalboy I find these kind of "experiments" realy hard to watch. Do we have to make people suffer in order to scientifically prove something we intuitively know?
@mrorahilly Well...yeah. Our intiution feeds us plenty of false information. A lot of times things "everybody knows" are demonstrated to be false(Black holes, contrary to their common image, do not necessarily suck up all the matter in the vicinity for example). Scientific proof is the only way to truly determine such things and this experiment will help hopefully help parents in the future raise their kids better.(My grandmother did this sort of thing often, she thought it bred independence.)
@Zaidalboy This baby seems to be very young (around one year old), and I think the children used in the Strange Situation experiment were at least a year older than this baby. During this stage of the child's life, the child is in the process of forming one of those attachments (avoidant, resistant, "normal", or even disorganized).
Are you naysayers insane? You think 2 minutes of still face is going to permanently injure this kid, either cognitively or emotionally? Read a damn book, folks, we animals are quite resilient...
I've been having a very good today and decided to watch this video again. I don't know why, but I started crying when the baby started smiling again at the end of the expirament.
I don't think this is unique to babies at all. I think adults respond the same way. Adults have just learned to regulate their responses to this sort of rejection with most people, but they go through these stages when it happens with their adult significant attachment partner. That's my theory, anyway.
@Zebonka That's not the point. The point is that we already read faces and emotions very early. When you have an unresponsive face it means that you're emotionally distant. An emotionally distant mother can't take care of you. Reading faces is a survival trait.
@Salokin92 Those are feelings, and sometimes negative (when there not an appropriate respons to a negative situation) but not negative in themself like a wrong turn to a certain type- and class of feelings right into a common dark place...thats what the dr made it sound like when he said the baby turned away well into two minutes of not getting the normal reaction.
I wonder if babies react differently to this situation depending on which attachment style they show in the strange situation. This kid's behavior is pretty similar in theme to the 'secure' attachment style - happy playing, distressed when Mom is gone, then easily soothed when she returns. Would insecurely attached kids reject Mom or stay upset when she goes back to normal?
That mom has a lot of self-control. I would've snapped and started fussing over her again the instant she started reaching out like that. And the baby is adorable. :3
That was so cruel! That baby did not understand why the mother was completely ignoring it, especially with her looking right at the baby. This breaks the bond and trust that the baby has for mother. I could not do that to my child.
@4carterfamily oh please. it's not like this mother was doing all the time. it was only this once. no doubt every mother left their baby crying in the crib at least once in their life, do you remember that one time? no you don't. I fail to see how this is cruel since the baby won't even remember it.
@4carterfamily If you only do it once, it's really not going to do anything. That sort of non-response could happen and does happen in real life for a myriad of reasons. It's usually not that creepy, but it does happen. Ever been on the phone "mommy's busy"? Once, while traumatizing to us to watch, isn't going to really shred anything, and she made it all better by finally hugging him. If he remembers anything at all, it's the overwhelming happy of mommy 'coming back'.
Actually now that I see the video again, I just realized this question : By the mother responding to the child when he/she starts crying, doesn't that reinforce crying in the baby to get the attention of others??? because he is going to associate crying with getting the right attention...
@Es1frankesteinKswap You are right, this would reinforce that kind of response, but to actually condition this into the baby it would need to happen over and over again until the baby learns that crying yields attention - one isolated event does not consolidate any sort of behavior.
@phantasma616 And its not just that first time, its all the time they spend IN daycare with effectively everyone giving them the still face. I think that is part of the cause of the epidemic of violence in the schools, a ton of kids with stunted growth in relationship.
That is an absolutely RIDICULOUS remark. How can you blame children being in a child care facility on the violence epidemic in schoosl? And even worse, accuse EVERYONE in a center on giving children the still face?! I'll admit, there are schools in which children are not properly taken care of, but as and extremely dedicated child care provider, and nurturer of children, I couldn't disagree more. Studies show that children in centers do better later in life than those who don't
The mother is about to loose it when the baby starts crying full tilt. It was hard on her. I agree, it makes you think about neglected kids who simply stop waiting for a reaction from their parents.
@repogirl20 the Doctor actually says at the end that "the bad" is when a parent doesn't/can't respond, but if they return their attention to the baby (as the mother in the video did) quickly enough then the baby is able to overcome the negative experience. So, I don't think there'll be any lasting trauma : ).
D'aw. I felt so bad when the baby got upset. It looked so pathetic! No one I could do that to my child or someone elses, it would just make me feel too bad XD
She doesn't just make her face still, she stops interacting with the baby entirely after having just been highly responsive. This would freak out lots of people of all ages. If they wanted to test the effect of the "still face" vs normal mommy face, then she should have only stopped reacting facially and possibly speaking while continuing to exhibit otherwise normal body language. His conclusions are hardly accurate if this is how they conducted the experiment.
Interesting... I felt a bit bad for the mom having to do that to her own kid, but I think it's kind of worth it to know for sure that the babies are every bit as sensitive as us at reading faces.
actualy what USAforlife2057 says is very much to do with the clip as a whole part of child psychology is to do with memory and how the child remembers there mother, i find this facinating, but USAforlife2057, you should not call someone an idiot for not knowing this stuff no one can know everything, and its luckily enough that you have obviously had the chance to learn it, people are not idoits for not knowing something you were taught, that is thinking very highly of your self
It is absolutely hilarious how the minute the lady turns around with the blank expression, the baby expresses her eyebrows in a very "Wtf?" way that is just hilarious.
Jeez, you people are so uptight about minor things. Seriously, the baby went through no more emotional stress than if it was a regular day at home and mom was just busy with something and not paying attention to the baby. It was the lack of response which the baby responded by trying to get mom's attention.
And there you have the source of many of the issues facing kids (and later adults) in the mental health system. We're wired to be social and our world begins and expands from Mom and Dad's faces. If that doesn't start properly - the result isn't a good one. Some cases of ADHD and most Boderline Personality issues have strong roots in parental behavior.
Aw this made me sad. Someone edit this and replace the mom with Spock instead.
BishtrainerTai16 1 month ago 5
I loled. =D
-Chaos
Chaos28561 1 month ago
@Chaos28561 You don't need to sign your post... Your name shows up beneath them.
SilliiBoo 2 weeks ago
This type of reaction is not unique to babies or children. It is common in adults and seems to be hard wired into us. If we reach out to someone for an extended period of time and they don't respond in a kind and loving way we tend to lash out and try various approaches to get their attention. Failing this we fall victim to returning the same behaviour to the one sharing it with us. In this way we often build walls between our loved ones in relationships.
sfhlaj 1 month ago 6
I always show this video to my clients when they start Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Couple counselling - it very quickly focuses our work on the the central focus of EFT - attachment . Most people can easily identify with this wonderful video - which is why it is so helpful. I first saw it at EFT training with Sue Johnson - luv it !! thanks sue !!
sgilesmsw 1 month ago
kind of got really upset watching this and stared tearing up.
angrybear86 1 month ago 4
OMFG THAT"S SO MEAN I FELT HORRIBLE WATCHING THIS
fremen13 1 month ago
Nice move Dr. Edward
GreenmeGo 1 month ago
i am surprise by this experiment..babies do connect to adults on their own way.
happinesson 1 month ago
That's awesome I wanna make babies cry
xdanierox 2 months ago 10
The reaction is definitely not 'unique' to babies. We all want to be 'seen'.
But as babies don't understand 'verbal' language,
so the objective of this experiment is to emphasize that it is crucial to respond with good 'non-verbal' language :)
MDPsyche 2 months ago
I'm currently writing my thesis on something involving the still-face task and Dr. Tronick is my version of a celebrity right now. I think I need to get out more.
Pickle2Yellow 2 months ago 2
I could not be that strong. I couldn't keep a straight face not even for 30 seconds if a baby was smiling at me and reaching out for me. I would crack a smile immediately.
SirenSima 2 months ago 6
I could not be that strong. I couldn't keep a straight face not even for 30 seconds if a baby was smiling at me and reaching out for me. I would crack a smile immediately.
SirenSima 2 months ago
poor baby! It is not good for it! stupid man!
Mr123Jupiter 3 months ago
@Mr123Jupiter @ 2 minutes being ignored wont hurt it :P
tommmkelly 2 months ago 5
lol u could tell the mother felt really guilty at the end of the experiment lol
missineichen 3 months ago
@numnumon we watched another video of this experiment in our developmental psych lecture today, with a 24 week old baby (just under 6 months old). Same results, except the baby got upset quicker than this one.
amelialolz 3 months ago
@amelialolz Guess a smaller baby's gonna be less confident/more dependent on his/her mom. Human babies might not have as much inborn abilities as your average little animal, but recent research has shown that they DO come with quite a lot of "software". In other words, babies are people, too.
KendrixTermina 2 months ago
this is why i love developmental psych, we get to watch cute videos of babies :P
amelialolz 3 months ago
what a cute baby :D
ayyyynoo 3 months ago
We are learning about attachment in infancy in my Lifespan class, and the professor suggested we check out this experiment. It's quite fascinating to see how the baby reacts when the mother turns off her responsivity to all of the baby's behavioral cues. Even to the point of becoming distressed. Great narration of the observation.
bateal07 3 months ago
How would you say this relates to attachment?
mcrcrazedfan18 3 months ago
@mcrcrazedfan18 This relates to attachment given the fact that by this type of behavior displayed by the mother in when she is interacting is a form of secure attachment. and the latter demonstrates insecure attachment. Yes, no doubt painful to watch yet many caregivers display this behavior because they themselves had experiences of some sort of insecure attachment. The primary caregiver is a infant's first relationship and is vital in their adulthood.
electroglamourgrrl80 3 months ago
Spock should never have children.
AliceValium 3 months ago 6
1:25 "There!"
TriplePsiRJ 4 months ago
1:25 "There!"
TriplePsiRJ 4 months ago
The amazing thing about babies is how pure their emotions are. Because they haven't learned to hide their feelings, every emotion you see on their face comes strait from the heart. The only things that's more amazing is the mother's face while she's trying to remain emotionless. She mirrors the distress that her child shows, but it's so subtle you can miss it the first time... But she's honestly just as upset as the poor kid. The best example is when the baby cries and she tenses up all at once.
ChimeraChick 4 months ago
The fact that a mother would agree to participate in this experiment is diagnostic in and of itself.
Mareksgirl 4 months ago
Why are people so upset about this? haha, I mean it was 2 minutes that the baby will not remember, and its not like she was punching the baby in the face or anything.
FunnyThings1234 5 months ago 7
this is how John Dorian would look like when he becomes old... this person really has the same voice as Zack Braff!
EvaaraGaezanlei 5 months ago
I don't even like children but I just felt so damn bad for that poor baby!
papierdragon 5 months ago 3
I would like to see this research done with a much younger infant. I thought the baby here was old enough that the response would be expected. It is no surprise that the baby reacted this way. I would like to see this done with an attached (and also not attached) 6 month old or younger.
Numnumom 5 months ago
I would like to this research with a much younger infant. I thought the baby here was old enough that the response would be expected. It is no surprise that the baby reacted this way. I would like to this with an attached (and not attached) 6 month old or younger.
Numnumom 5 months ago
this was actually quite amusing
Axadn 5 months ago
2:10 - 2:13 sounds wrong...lol
ajinjoseph1 5 months ago
I have definitely seen certain moms act this way in reality, which is quite awful.
iadorenewyork1 6 months ago
I feel so bad for the baby. :(
xmanxavier11 6 months ago
Pa-Pa-Pa-Poker face
Toasty3D 6 months ago
LOLOLOLOLOL. try experimenting with a trollface next time :D Really good video btw.
loopofpoop 6 months ago
If this was difficult for me to just watch, I can only imagine how difficult this must have been for the mother.
SpacePriestess 6 months ago
This is the fastest and most depressing psychological experiment I've ever witnessed.
Hannahdabeast 6 months ago
This is Kristen Stewart. Holy crap.
DrewPiotrowski 6 months ago
2:00 PUNY HUMAN, WHY DO YOU NOT RESPOND!
mousaey 7 months ago
Yeah, I feel bad for the baby, but she's gonna forget about mommy's "still face" in less than an hour. I feel worse for the mother, she looked like she was having a really hard time and she'll remember doing that forever.
CiatriSonnel 7 months ago
I really wonder how the child would have reacted if she didn't have a secure attachment with her mother. If you know what I mean....
If the child was insecure: avoidant, whould she not go back to playing with her motehr?
Resistant, Would the child keep crying even after the mother tries to comfort her?
I would like to see how the different types of attachments found in the "Strange Situation" experiment?
Please answer me if you know what I'm talking about.... :)
Thanks for Posting!!
Zaidalboy 7 months ago 9
@Zaidalboy I find these kind of "experiments" realy hard to watch. Do we have to make people suffer in order to scientifically prove something we intuitively know?
mrorahilly 6 months ago
@mrorahilly Well...yeah. Our intiution feeds us plenty of false information. A lot of times things "everybody knows" are demonstrated to be false(Black holes, contrary to their common image, do not necessarily suck up all the matter in the vicinity for example). Scientific proof is the only way to truly determine such things and this experiment will help hopefully help parents in the future raise their kids better.(My grandmother did this sort of thing often, she thought it bred independence.)
ThePierrekirbyfanboy 4 months ago
@Zaidalboy This baby seems to be very young (around one year old), and I think the children used in the Strange Situation experiment were at least a year older than this baby. During this stage of the child's life, the child is in the process of forming one of those attachments (avoidant, resistant, "normal", or even disorganized).
sugarandspice4815 6 months ago
hahahah at 2.09 the babies looking at her like damn mum u must have bipolar
1991STARSKY 7 months ago
You can tell this is hard for the mother too by the way she starts rapidly blinking the more upset her child becomes.
Itoshiiyoma 7 months ago 72
I can tell the mother is having a hard time too because she starts blinking so rapidly the more upset her child becomes.
Itoshiiyoma 7 months ago 8
Are you naysayers insane? You think 2 minutes of still face is going to permanently injure this kid, either cognitively or emotionally? Read a damn book, folks, we animals are quite resilient...
DanHipp 7 months ago 12
I've been having a very good today and decided to watch this video again. I don't know why, but I started crying when the baby started smiling again at the end of the expirament.
ShadowCrowX 7 months ago
That must have been so hard for the mum.
omgshift111 8 months ago 11
@omgshift111 It's so sad when the baby starts crying and you can see how much the mother's face tighten.
bishielurfer 6 months ago
wow this is amazing!!!
jeffreywarcher 8 months ago
wow this is amazing!!!
jeffreywarcher 8 months ago
Science is amazing. By using it we get to very uncommon and usually uncomfortable places, that's the only places where you learn.
matiaspage 8 months ago 4
Oh my god, the poor kid. I almost cried when he started crying.
Ledarys 8 months ago 3
I don't think this is unique to babies at all. I think adults respond the same way. Adults have just learned to regulate their responses to this sort of rejection with most people, but they go through these stages when it happens with their adult significant attachment partner. That's my theory, anyway.
meridian57 8 months ago 6
The memories...
SculptedThoughts 8 months ago
I'm a man...and I almost cried too.
ShadowCrowX 9 months ago 15
The smile of the infant at 2:11: it made it all worth it.
CarmenScholte 9 months ago 12
I don't think this is unique to babies. I'd probably cry too.
Zebonka 9 months ago 75
@Zebonka That's not the point. The point is that we already read faces and emotions very early. When you have an unresponsive face it means that you're emotionally distant. An emotionally distant mother can't take care of you. Reading faces is a survival trait.
MulattoProductions 8 months ago 3
what are negative feelings?
gigi1bokus 9 months ago
@gigi1bokus distress, sadness, despair, frustration, angst, phobia...?
Salokin92 9 months ago
@Salokin92 Those are feelings, and sometimes negative (when there not an appropriate respons to a negative situation) but not negative in themself like a wrong turn to a certain type- and class of feelings right into a common dark place...thats what the dr made it sound like when he said the baby turned away well into two minutes of not getting the normal reaction.
gigi1bokus 9 months ago
I wonder if babies react differently to this situation depending on which attachment style they show in the strange situation. This kid's behavior is pretty similar in theme to the 'secure' attachment style - happy playing, distressed when Mom is gone, then easily soothed when she returns. Would insecurely attached kids reject Mom or stay upset when she goes back to normal?
Abnormaldiversity 10 months ago 5
"COME ON. WHY AREN'T WE DOING THIS."
gotta love babies.
krazyates888 10 months ago 18
That mom has a lot of self-control. I would've snapped and started fussing over her again the instant she started reaching out like that. And the baby is adorable. :3
Also, that guy stole the 11th Doctor's coat.
ScreechTheMighty 10 months ago 13
he sounds like ted out of scrubs
whiteboy00101 10 months ago
I never laughed so hard before this moment
AwesomeAirJew 10 months ago
@AwesomeAirJew well then youre damaged.
gigi1bokus 10 months ago
that was so hard to watch :(
summzzxoxo 10 months ago 2
That hot mom looks like a young Sigourney Weaver. Cute baby too awhs.
mvaght87 10 months ago 7
annww.
SnowHiriel 11 months ago
<3
SnowHiriel 11 months ago
lolllllllllll the little girl recovers soo quickly <3
shes tooooo cutee
bubbly929292 11 months ago 5
That was so cruel! That baby did not understand why the mother was completely ignoring it, especially with her looking right at the baby. This breaks the bond and trust that the baby has for mother. I could not do that to my child.
4carterfamily 11 months ago
@4carterfamily oh please. it's not like this mother was doing all the time. it was only this once. no doubt every mother left their baby crying in the crib at least once in their life, do you remember that one time? no you don't. I fail to see how this is cruel since the baby won't even remember it.
ATDFXN 10 months ago
@ATDFXN
You obviously have no clue how psychology and child development works. Go do some reading and stop making an ass of yourself.
There is a reason why they were doing this experiment on an infant in the first place.
tridentmovies 8 months ago
@4carterfamily If you only do it once, it's really not going to do anything. That sort of non-response could happen and does happen in real life for a myriad of reasons. It's usually not that creepy, but it does happen. Ever been on the phone "mommy's busy"? Once, while traumatizing to us to watch, isn't going to really shred anything, and she made it all better by finally hugging him. If he remembers anything at all, it's the overwhelming happy of mommy 'coming back'.
vantarinitel 7 months ago 7
Actually now that I see the video again, I just realized this question : By the mother responding to the child when he/she starts crying, doesn't that reinforce crying in the baby to get the attention of others??? because he is going to associate crying with getting the right attention...
Es1frankesteinKswap 11 months ago 4
@Es1frankesteinKswap You are right, this would reinforce that kind of response, but to actually condition this into the baby it would need to happen over and over again until the baby learns that crying yields attention - one isolated event does not consolidate any sort of behavior.
idrawbadly 10 months ago 3
@Es1frankesteinKswap Well, technically the only way for an infant to communicate his/her feelings during the infant age is through crying.
KnitKnots 10 months ago
This is amazing... I love developmental psychology!!!!
Es1frankesteinKswap 11 months ago 5
@Es1frankesteinKswap Me too. It's what I study in school :)
ivyhageman 10 months ago
Hahahaha! Suffer baby, Suffer!!!!
etc2913 11 months ago
Oh my gosh. That poor baby. Even raises her eyebrows at 1:07.
RaitoYagamiFTW 11 months ago
Is it me, or does mom look like Mary McCormack?
Kemruss 11 months ago
That was painful to watch! Good proof of children's feelings, but WTF... a bit unethical experiment I'd say.
nilsandrae 11 months ago
LOL that was kind of mean
Shirleyxia74 1 year ago
Scariest mom ever. Even when she's being "nice" I'm afraid she's going to eat her child.
HeyChristineHey 1 year ago
Oh my god, I could not do that, jesus.
SheGiRl 1 year ago 7
That's a little painful to watch.
CH3BURASHKA 1 year ago 193
aww i'd crack at the smile the baby did, weak LOL
randompeople14 1 year ago 9
1:03-2:01- it's Kristen Stewart in Twilight!
No wonder the baby cried.
MsAnakinSolo 1 year ago 6
@MsAnakinSolo HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH! Fantastic!
goibee 1 year ago 2
BatGirl, it seems like you really have deep emotions. It's a good thing.
Sammy9999990 1 year ago
This video is probably the best argument for never having Botox.
aphoxema 1 year ago 49
I'm sure there was not nearly as much trauma as baby feels when Mommy walks away for the first time and leaves baby at the daycare.
phantasma616 1 year ago 10
@phantasma616 And its not just that first time, its all the time they spend IN daycare with effectively everyone giving them the still face. I think that is part of the cause of the epidemic of violence in the schools, a ton of kids with stunted growth in relationship.
givebirthathome 1 year ago
@givebirthathome
That is an absolutely RIDICULOUS remark. How can you blame children being in a child care facility on the violence epidemic in schoosl? And even worse, accuse EVERYONE in a center on giving children the still face?! I'll admit, there are schools in which children are not properly taken care of, but as and extremely dedicated child care provider, and nurturer of children, I couldn't disagree more. Studies show that children in centers do better later in life than those who don't
Butterfly8228 1 year ago
I bet that was hard for the mom to not react to her baby
stephaniebarney 1 year ago 10
I don't want to be a bad father, but I'm definitely trying it with my son.
But I'll give ice cream after that.
joeicatrivante 1 year ago 10
Yeah I almost cried when the baby started smiling, as a desperate attempt to get the mother to smile...
ERoBB1 1 year ago 12
So Sad :( I hope people learn from this.
ThePenelopeification 1 year ago 13
omg the poor baby's reaction.. =(
darkAngelLuna 1 year ago 7
The mother is about to loose it when the baby starts crying full tilt. It was hard on her. I agree, it makes you think about neglected kids who simply stop waiting for a reaction from their parents.
candildelacalle 1 year ago 17
this is just so creepy. Informative, but disturbing as all hell. I hope that kid doesn't get some kind of weird trauma from this...... :(
repogirl20 1 year ago
@repogirl20 the Doctor actually says at the end that "the bad" is when a parent doesn't/can't respond, but if they return their attention to the baby (as the mother in the video did) quickly enough then the baby is able to overcome the negative experience. So, I don't think there'll be any lasting trauma : ).
redtopaz 1 year ago 2
D'aw. I felt so bad when the baby got upset. It looked so pathetic! No one I could do that to my child or someone elses, it would just make me feel too bad XD
dreamingofmagic 1 year ago 2
That experiment made me cry. The consiousness that this is what happens to neglected children... God.
nieoceniona 1 year ago 5
Any reason the mother starts blinking like crazy when she starts the "non-responsive" phase?
bballbackus 1 year ago
@bballbackus I think she was just trying to stay focused and in character even though she didn't really want to on a subconcious level.
Aphearicus 1 year ago 2
@Aphearicus You can see later on that she looks a bit sad as she's doing the still-face. Its definitely hard on her to ignore her baby like that.
BalmungSama0 1 year ago 2
Giving a baby emotionall streass looks like a fun way to kill a few minutes.
LikaLaruku 1 year ago
So being deadpan is now child abuse?
Okin17 1 year ago
I'm surprised they still get IRB approval for stuff like this. I guess some places aren't as strict about it.
FantajiFan 1 year ago
@FantajiFan
They didn't even do anything to the baby-
of course they'd get approval
gorginhanson 1 year ago
That's why Spock can't have kids
joeicatrivante 1 year ago 157
@joeicatrivante but then the baby would be unresponsive too!
5565kr 1 year ago
@joeicatrivante Cracked :D
Trisscarr 5 months ago 2
She doesn't just make her face still, she stops interacting with the baby entirely after having just been highly responsive. This would freak out lots of people of all ages. If they wanted to test the effect of the "still face" vs normal mommy face, then she should have only stopped reacting facially and possibly speaking while continuing to exhibit otherwise normal body language. His conclusions are hardly accurate if this is how they conducted the experiment.
kranktank 1 year ago 7
I just put on my stillface and go browsing the internet.
Szgerle 1 year ago 10
Interesting... I felt a bit bad for the mom having to do that to her own kid, but I think it's kind of worth it to know for sure that the babies are every bit as sensitive as us at reading faces.
Minamiblues 1 year ago 8
LOLOLOLOLOLO
if only the still face part lasted longer...
saladCzar1 1 year ago
If any thing I think the baby was just confused as hell by the sudden change.
keyonte0 1 year ago
Good lord, that hurt my soul.
barkensignal 1 year ago 13
Baby torture... for science!
tiberseptim37 1 year ago 13
Fascinating and it explains why children look at me like they often do.
What? I'm not interested in them outside of science, okay!?
lastunusedname 1 year ago 6
Oh my God... I must translate this into art!
Nekorin 1 year ago
that was so sad
corinath 1 year ago
Thats just cruel.
xeinkolt 1 year ago
@xeinkolt Cruelly HI-larious
saladCzar1 1 year ago
@xeinkolt If you think this experiment was cruel, you should read a newspaper sometime.
chonnes 1 year ago 4
very interesting experiment, although i felt a little sad for the baby during the still face part.
the mother was very good at being still though.:)
itoe07 1 year ago 12
That mom is beautiful
pnava123456789 1 year ago 14
actualy what USAforlife2057 says is very much to do with the clip as a whole part of child psychology is to do with memory and how the child remembers there mother, i find this facinating, but USAforlife2057, you should not call someone an idiot for not knowing this stuff no one can know everything, and its luckily enough that you have obviously had the chance to learn it, people are not idoits for not knowing something you were taught, that is thinking very highly of your self
vanessalongthorpe 1 year ago
Hmmm, this seems really interesting... This could be fun, BRB GOING TO GO MAKE BABIES CRY >:D
zonda814 1 year ago 4
That's a pretty mom. Also Cracked rules
Thanatos418 1 year ago 6
Cracked is one of the best sites ever
Thanatos418 1 year ago 5
Thats amazing
littleblackgirl 1 year ago
What a smart baby!
shirleygene 1 year ago
@shirleygene How is this baby more intelligent than the others?
serekuro 1 year ago
Seriously people are complaining about this? The baby will forget about that in a few minutes, lol. Do any of you remember anything when you were 1?
VillarbaDye 1 year ago 17
That looked painful for both mother and baby. :(
lieberfurtod 1 year ago
It is absolutely hilarious how the minute the lady turns around with the blank expression, the baby expresses her eyebrows in a very "Wtf?" way that is just hilarious.
RAINBOWHORSES 1 year ago 12
Jeez, you people are so uptight about minor things. Seriously, the baby went through no more emotional stress than if it was a regular day at home and mom was just busy with something and not paying attention to the baby. It was the lack of response which the baby responded by trying to get mom's attention.
smzig 1 year ago 14
BABY GOT SOME SKILLZ
Kampex 1 year ago 4
Let's see what happens when we take away the puppy.
assfax 1 year ago 6
@assfax Props for the ghost busters reference.
USAForLife2057 1 year ago
This is why we cant have nice things.
I know not to hire people with no emotions as baby sitters.
TheScienceguy77 1 year ago
That was amazing, when the baby pointed to get the mothers attention again it literally sent shivers down my spine.
Rymerik 1 year ago 4
I just wanted punch those people in the face.... poor babies :D
RockyBalboa211 1 year ago
ohh, poor little baby! Smile at her already! SMILE AT HER!
turtlewings 1 year ago 4
This is horrible. I wonder if after this experiment, Dr Tronick experimented on how many lashes it takes to club a baby seal to death.
gabe0463 1 year ago
Oh man, that broke my heart.
JosedGeminis 1 year ago
Poor baby.
Stauderhorse 1 year ago
That was..... disturbingly creepy.
Xunkun 1 year ago 5
It's always fun to creep babies out, I use clown masks!
Maximvenom 1 year ago
LOL I CAN MAKE BABIES CRY WITH MY FACE
XXArmondXX 1 year ago 12
Give me thumbs up if you got here from reddit!
Greyh0und 1 year ago
You just had to work reparations into this huh? Thank a lot pal!
ambigera 1 year ago
Oh my god, creepy eyes.
MrTissues 1 year ago
In 30 years baby will be telling a shrink that still faces always freak him out.
bearswilleatme 1 year ago 22
And there you have the source of many of the issues facing kids (and later adults) in the mental health system. We're wired to be social and our world begins and expands from Mom and Dad's faces. If that doesn't start properly - the result isn't a good one. Some cases of ADHD and most Boderline Personality issues have strong roots in parental behavior.
rlee64 1 year ago 2
Wow this was pretty hard to watch.
GiantDoucheNG 1 year ago 5
Cracked. Also wow, that's awesome, I'm totally doing that to babies now.
robo042 1 year ago 3
I use the still face at work in hopes that people will leave me alone.
cymer00 1 year ago 181
@cymer00 me too. they either get really pissed off or walk away
oxMelxo 1 year ago
@cymer00 hahahahahahahahaha
Sedrom 1 year ago
@cymer00 Are you me?
gallowspole 1 year ago
@cymer00 A+ comment.
Jenna10227 1 year ago