This study extends the findings that young infants prefer prosocial to antisocial others (Hamlin & Wynn, Cognitive Development 2011, 26, 30; Hamlin, Wynn, & Bloom, Nature 2007, 450, 557) to older infants (12–24 and 24–36 months) with a novel display. We presented infants with short cartoons in which a character (the “Protoganist”) engaged in a ball play with two others, one acting prosocially (the “Giver”), and the other antisocially (the “Keeper”). Afterward, infants were presented with the Giver and the Keeper characters and encouraged to reach for the one of their choices. We found that infants exhibited robust choice for the Giver. In addition, infants' preference for the Giver persisted despite changes in facial features (dark skin, scrambled face). These findings provide further evidence for infant's preference for prosociality.

In 2007, a study carried out by Hamlin, Wynn, and Bloom provided concrete evidence that infants as young as 6 months were capable of social evaluation, displaying an early preference for agents performing a prosocial behavior. Since then the development of early social abilities to judge other's behavior has been the topic of a growing body of research. The present paper reviews studies conducted between 2007 and 2015 that experimentally examined infants' social evaluation abilities by testing their preference for agents acting prosocially. We performed a detailed analysis of a corpus of 16 research studies including 59 experimental results, scrutinizing their methods and findings, and identifying their convergent and divergent features. This analysis showed that a preference for agents who perform prosocial behaviors (as opposed to antisocial or neutral) was present in a majority of infants, but some conflicting results have also been reported. The rich interpretation that infants are endowed with mature socio-moral evaluation abilities has not really been sufficiently discussed. In order to deepen this debate, we assessed other studies that have further explored infants' understanding of the social value of behaviors. Many of the studies provide evidence that young infants manage to identify and prefer the prosocial agent by taking into account the context and agents' mental states beyond the behavior itself. In this study two specific areas are assessed: (1) studies that have previously explored social evaluation abilities beyond a basic preference for prosocial behavior and (2) current theories which attempt to explain how and why such preferences could exist so early in infancy. Future directions for research on social evaluation abilities in infants are also discussed as well as a review of the literature.

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A recent body of research suggests infants prefer prosocial behaviours. However, some studies failed to report this preference, and asked what specific parameters allow to observe it. We attempt to provide a part of answer to that question by investigating if the preference vary 1) with age (testing infants aged 6, 12, 18 months), 2) with the type of social behaviours (help, play and share), and 3) when the pro-and antisocial agents' appearance were manipulated (i.e., displaying neutral, own-race or other-race faces). To this end, we use an eye-tracking methodology to assess infants' preference between pro-and antisocial agents featured in animated cartoons. We found that the prosocial preference was not stable across ages and varied depending on social scenarios. No sound conclusion could be given about the influence of faces. Our results invite to wonder in which extent very young infants perceive the prosociality in complex social behaviours.

There is growing evidence that infants display preferences for prosocial agents. However, recent studies have reported conflicting results about the impact of appearance on these preferences. The current study investigated the relative influence of behavior and face/race on 6-month-old infants' evaluation of social agents when these two aspects are in competition. In a short research study featuring animated cartoons where agents interacted in a ball game, we used eye-tracking methodology to assess infants' preferences (a) for prosocial behavior, (b) for one kind of appearance, represented by race, and (c) when the two aspects were pitted against one another. The two control conditions revealed preferences for prosocial agents and for other-race appearance. No preference could be found at group level in the third condition, where these two aspects competed with each other. However, a profile analysis revealed that when this situation was a source of conflict in terms of the preferences identified in the control conditions, infants prioritized appearance over behavior.

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L’empathie est un concept qui reflète la capacité de percevoir et d’être sensible aux états émotionnels des autres, souvent associée à une motivation à prendre soin de leur bien-être. L’empathie joue un rôle central dans la motivation des comportements prosociaux. Alors que son développement est le plus souvent examiné à l’aide d’études comportementales et observationnelles, un nombre croissant de travaux en neurosciences apporte un nouvel éclairage sur les mécanismes neurobiologiques impliqués dans cette sensibilité interpersonnelle. Cet article examine de manière critique et sélective les connaissances actuelles en neurosciences développementales chez le très jeune enfant. La décomposition de l’empathie en composants tels que le partage d’affects, la prise de perspective, le souci de l’autre et la régulation des émotions, en conjonction avec l’examen de leur trajectoire développementale, est bénéfique aux recherches et théories dans le domaine des neurosciences affectives du développement.

De nombreuses études montrent des préférences précoces des jeunes enfants pour des agents prosociaux. Cependant, des études récentes ont trouvé des résultats contradictoires quant à l'influence de l'apparence sur ces préférences. La présente étude a pour objectif de déterminer l'influence de l'apparence faciale/l'ethnie sur la préférence des bébés de 6 mois pour des comportements prosociaux. Dans une étude utilisant des mesures oculométriques, nous avons exposé des bébés à des animations vidéos afin de tester leurs préférences: 1) pour un agent prosocial vs. antisocial, 2) pour un agent de leur ethnie vs. d'une ethnie étrangère, et 3) lorsque ces 2 aspects (prosocial x ethnie) sont mis en compétition. Les deux conditions contrôles révèlent une préférence pour l'agent prosocial et l'agent d'une ethnie étrangère. Aucune préférence n'a été identifiée au niveau du groupe dans la troisième condition dans lesquels ces deux éléments sont en concurrence. Cependant, une analyse par profils montre que lorsque cette situation est source de conflit au regard des préférences identifiées dans les conditions contrôles, les bébés expriment une préférence pour l'agent antisocial d'une ethnie étrangère. Ainsi, ils traitent l'apparence de façon prioritaire sur le comportement. AbstractThere is growing evidence that infants display preferences for prosocial agents. However, recent studies have reported conflicting results about the impact of appearance on these preferences. The current study investigated the relative influence of face/race on 6-month-old infants' preference for prosocial behaviour. In a short research study featuring animated cartoons where agents interacted in a ball game, we used eye-tracking methodology to assess infants' preferences 1) for prosocial behaviour, 2) for other-race faces, and 3) when the two aspects were pitted against one another. The two control conditions revealed preferences for prosocial agents and for other-race faces. No preference could be found at group level in the third condition, where these two aspects competed with each other. However, a profile analysis revealed that when this situation was a source of conflict in terms of the preferences identified in the control conditions, infants show a preference for the other-race antisocial agent, thereby prioritizing faces over behaviour.