From Contagious Crying to Compassion: The Origins of Empathy- June 23, 2026
June 23, 2026
9 – 10:30am Pacific Time (Seattle) / 12 – 1:30pm Eastern
via Zoom
BARNARD CENTER FREE LECTURE SERIES
Why do babies cry when they hear other babies cry? Is it simply a reaction to an unpleasant sound or an early sign of empathy? This talk explores the phenomenon of “contagious crying” in infancy, drawing on cross-cultural studies from the UK and Uganda using innovative physiological measures. We will consider how infants’ early emotional responses to others lay the groundwork for empathy, and how these are shaped by caregivers and cultural contexts to support young children’s emotional development.
DR. CARLO VREDEN, PhD
Dr. Carlo Vreden obtained his PhD in Developmental Psychology from Durham University in the UK and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education in Frankfurt, Germany. Carlo’s work looks at the development of young children’s social and emotional behaviors and how their development is shaped by instructional styles, caregiver interactions, and cultural practices.