An Infant's Cry

An associate faculty at Mission College in Santa Clara, California, Robert Fettgather Ph.D. teaches general psychology, abnormal psychology, and human growth and development. He is interested in children and family dynamics.

The cry of an infant has an unusual ability to stir emotions and elicit distress in adults, even if they are not the child's parents. This seemingly innate response is rooted in both evolutionary and psychological factors that have shaped human behavior over millennia 

From an evolutionary standpoint, the human species has thrived due to its ability to care for and protect its offspring. The survival of the next generation is crucial for the continuation of the species, and infants are utterly dependent on the care and attention of adults to meet their needs. The evolutionary process has led to the development of caregiving instincts in adults, making them responsive to the distress signals of infants, even if they are not biologically related.

One of the key factors contributing to the distress elicited by an infant's cry is empathy. Humans possess a remarkable capacity for empathy, which enables them to understand and share the emotions of others. When adults hear an infant crying, they can identify the distress and discomfort conveyed by the cry, triggering their own emotional response. Mirror neurons, a type of brain cell that activates both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing the same action, play a crucial role in this empathetic response. As adults listen to an infant's cry, their mirror neurons activate, allowing them to vicariously experience the distress, leading to their own feelings of discomfort and unease.

The deeply ingrained caregiving instincts in humans, coupled with their empathetic nature and societal expectations, create a powerful and universal reaction to the distress signals of infants, and demonstrates a natural inclination to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable members of our species.