Posted on Jan 22, 2022
Saliva Sharing Might Help Kids Identify Their Closest Relationships
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How do little kids understand who has a close relationship with them? One of the clues they use to figure it out is by noticing who they’re swapping saliva with. The closest bonds are with the people who are giving them kisses, sharing their forks, and wiping their drool. Those are the findings of a recent study published in the journal Science.
Ira is joined by Ashley Thomas, the study’s lead author and a post doctoral fellow in the brain and cognitive sciences department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Ira is joined by Ashley Thomas, the study’s lead author and a post doctoral fellow in the brain and cognitive sciences department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Saliva Sharing Might Help Kids Identify Their Closest Relationships
Posted from sciencefriday.com
Children
Family
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Science
Posted >1 y ago
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The hypothesis could also be it is feeding someone, and/or providing food to someone, that suggests a close relationships to kids . . . which of course could include sharing utensils, and for sure wiping drool from the youngest!
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SGT Mary G.
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel - I've seen your "I need sleep" look many times in many people! Life Experience is often less demanding in retrospect, lol.
Good looking progeny! Beautiful eyes. I might guess Greek genes. Many Egyptian folks have eyes like your daughter, too.
Good looking progeny! Beautiful eyes. I might guess Greek genes. Many Egyptian folks have eyes like your daughter, too.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
SGT Mary G. - Greek? I Wish! No Amanda is German, Scottish, Irish, English, North European (Scandinavian) French, Now that Blonde Lad, Has a Wee bit More Interesting Heritage. Add Dago Wop (Italian, You Were Close) and Native American.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
SGT Mary G. When All of Amanda's Children were Born Granny Sandy said "They Couldn't Look More Like You Grandpa If You Had Shit them Out Yourself!" I Think She's Jealous! LOL! Thankfully Chris's Children Look More Like Grandma.
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I have to wonder about the correlation and relationship between the factors identified in this so-called study.
How many of these infants are swapping spit with total strangers? I would guess that number is ZERO.
I would hate to have to explain to PBS that correlation does not equal causation and that even when a cause/effect relationship exists significantly greater controls are needed to identify the direction of that relationship. If we determined that homes with smart children were more likely to have a chess set than homes with stupid children, would you think that buying a chess set would somehow make your kids smarter? (Hopefully most of us realize this is not going to work.)
Are toddlers identifying close relationships due to swapping spit, or is it simply that these close relationships are the people most likely to be giving them kisses, sharing their forks, and wiping their drool? How many casual strangers do any of these things?
Does Great Aunt Olivia magically become a "close relationship" because she wipes the baby's drool during her one visit?
Did we all have a "close relationship" with local politicians back in the days when "kissing babies" really was a part of political campaigning?
How many of these infants are swapping spit with total strangers? I would guess that number is ZERO.
I would hate to have to explain to PBS that correlation does not equal causation and that even when a cause/effect relationship exists significantly greater controls are needed to identify the direction of that relationship. If we determined that homes with smart children were more likely to have a chess set than homes with stupid children, would you think that buying a chess set would somehow make your kids smarter? (Hopefully most of us realize this is not going to work.)
Are toddlers identifying close relationships due to swapping spit, or is it simply that these close relationships are the people most likely to be giving them kisses, sharing their forks, and wiping their drool? How many casual strangers do any of these things?
Does Great Aunt Olivia magically become a "close relationship" because she wipes the baby's drool during her one visit?
Did we all have a "close relationship" with local politicians back in the days when "kissing babies" really was a part of political campaigning?
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SGT Mary G.
MSG Thomas Currie All good points. Wondering if anyone thought to ask the older kids instead of observe and asssumptively correlate!
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