Research summary
Infants may not be able to hold up their end of a conversation—but that doesn’t mean they lack social capacities. How neonates and babies develop perceptual and social capacities is the focus of research by Dr. Naiqi Xiao, Canada Research Chair in Perceptual Development.
While most studies tend to focus on infants’ prolonged perceptual development over months, Xiao and his research team are exploring how neonates and infants can actively change their perception within seconds. To better understand the origins of cognitive deficits by prematurity, they are also looking at how this cognitive capacity is impaired in preterm infants. A unique aspect of their research is their examination of how social biases emerge as early as infancy. Their findings could lead to ideas about how to mitigate pervasive social biases in our societies.