Summary
New research shows that hearing a baby's cry makes people's faces get warmer. This happens because the body automatically responds to the distress in the cry, which involves complex sounds called "nonlinear phenomena." The study involved adults with little baby-care experience, and it found that both men and women had the same reaction.
Key Facts
- Hearing a baby's cry activates the body's automatic system that controls unconscious processes like breathing.
- The cries of the babies included complex sounds known as "nonlinear phenomena" (NLP), which are hard to ignore.
- Scientists tested this by playing 23 different baby cries to 41 participants who had experience with babies.
- While listening, a special camera measured changes in the participants' facial temperatures.
- Participants' faces got warmer, especially when the cry sounded more distressing due to high levels of NLP.
- The study found that both men and women showed the same increase in facial temperature when hearing a cry.
- The study only included adults with little baby-care experience, so results may differ for parents or caregivers.
- The study used natural baby cry recordings, which means it wasn't possible to control the specific cry elements.
