A study investigated whether exposure to one's own reflection influences the development of facial mimicry in 4-month-old infants.
Study Overview
Infants were divided into two groups: one had daily contact with a small mirror embedded in a toy for two weeks; the other used the same toy without the mirror.
Before and after this period, infants watched videos of other babies displaying facial expressions while brain activity (EEG) and facial muscle activity (EMG) were recorded.
Key Findings
At post-test, infants in the mirror group showed greater activation over sensorimotor regions, particularly in the right hemisphere associated with face representation, compared to the control group.
No increase in facial mimicry, as measured by EMG, was observed.
Background
Facial mimicry, the spontaneous copying of others' facial expressions, is thought to play a role in social bonding and emotion recognition. There is debate whether the link between seeing and doing is innate or shaped by sensorimotor experience.
Implications
The results suggest that simple experiences like seeing one's own reflection can shape neural circuits involved in perceiving others' actions early in life, though longer exposure may be needed for changes in behavior.
The research was led by Dr. Carina de Klerk from the University of Essex, supported by the Bial Foundation.