Surf Diaries 2005

It’s All in the Expression … Or is it?

SURF Student Studies How Infants Process Facial Expressions

How do infants process facial expressions? Does an infant understand a mother’s expressions and in turn, use these nonverbal clues to make judgments? This summer Samantha McGee, a senior and psychology major at Randolph-Macon, explored these very questions by way of the college’s 2005 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program.

Studies show that infants learn to read and understand expressions and then use that information to guide their actions. This skill seems to develop rapidly, yet many unresolved questions remain. What information do infants detect in expressions? Can they discriminate various expressions? To answer these questions as well as others, Samantha conducted a series of live lab studies between infants and their mothers.

During the lab sessions, a new toy was introduced to the infant subject. The infant’s mother then was instructed to make a happy face if she approved of the toy or a fearful face if she disapproved. As this occurred, Samantha gauged the infant’s reaction, as well as whether he or she actually approached the toy based on the facial expression demonstrated by the mother.

“I find SURF to be a once in a lifetime opportunity to conduct research to answer vital questions about child development,” said Samantha, who will present her findings at a child development conference in Washington, D.C., in November. “I gained better research skills, as well as improved my knowledge of children and contributed to the field with my work.

“I also liked the fact that I could work one on one with a professor who is an expert in his or her field,” added the Hanover, Pa., native. “Through SURF, you not only get to engage in wonderful research, you also get to know your professors on a more personal level.”

[Back to SURF Projects 2005]