Three‐month‐olds show a negativity bias in their social evaluations

Previous research has shown that 6-month-olds evaluate others on the basis of their social behaviors–they are attracted to prosocial individuals, and avoid antisocial individuals (Hamlin, Wynn & Bloom, 2007). The current studies investigate these capacities prior to 6 months of age. Results from two experiments indicate that even 3-month-old infants evaluate others based on their social behavior towards third parties, and that negative social information is developmentally privileged.