Eye Contact Syncs Baby and Adult Brainwaves

When an adult looks into the eyes of a baby, a synchronization of brain waves occurs that could indicate an intention to communicate, concludes a Cambridge university study of 36 infants. This coordinating supports the baby’s early learning and communication skills, according to the researchers. The effect, which researchers measured via electroencephalogram (EEG)-wired skullcaps, was strongest with eye-to-eye contact and weaker when the adult’s head was turned away. The more vocalizations—little sounds—the baby made, the greater their brainwaves synchronized with the adult.

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