Infants interpret saliva sharing between adults as a sign of close bonds
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara, Harvard University and MIT found that young infants view shared saliva as evidence of a strong relationship.
Study findings on infant perception
Experiments suggest that babies use saliva exchange to map social networks around them. Brandon Woo from UC Santa Barbara noted that children need to understand how people are connected before they can collaborate effectively. The team published these results in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.
Cross-cultural evidence for bonding
Previous work showed that people in close relationships across different cultures feel more comfortable sharing saliva. Researchers used this observation to design tests involving adults licking the same ice cream cone. Infants watching these interactions correctly identified the pair as being closely connected.
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