By Susan Pinker for the Wall Street Journal Child-rearing trends might seem to blow with the wind, but most adults would agree that preschool children who have learned to talk shouldn’t lie. But learning to lie, it turns out, is an important part of learning in general—and something to consider apart from fibbing’s ethical implications.…
Read MoreHelping Toddlers Understand Their Emotions
It wasn’t so long ago that the conventional wisdom was that babies were pretty much blobs who didn’t think or feel much before they could speak in words around the age of two. The idea that a six-month-old could feel fear or anger, no less sadness and grief, was preposterous. But thanks to an explosion…
Read MoreDogs Show Empathy During Play
By Virginia Morell for Science Now Laugh and your best friend will probably join in. Her face will also instantly mimic your mirthful expression. Scientists call this emotional contagion (it also happens when someone yawns), and regard it as a basic form of empathy—the ability to experience what someone else is feeling. But humans aren’t…
Read MoreDo They Really Like Their Christmas Present?
Giving and receiving Christmas gifts can be a stressful nightmare but how can you tell if someone really liked their gift? In a survey of 2,000 Brits, 65% of people confessed to pretending to like a gift to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. The graphic above shows the body language signals to look for to see…
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