Babies Can Fake Crying To Gain Attention, Helps Them Get Closer To Parents

A baby crying acts as a warning signal to parents that something is wrong with the child but at times a child might even fake crying in order to attract attention of the parents.

A recent study by the researchers at University of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo reveals that babies sometimes pretend crying to get  their parent's attention.

The researchers studied two infants aged between seven and nine months for around half a year. Twice a month, the crying episodes of the children were recorded on a video cam, reportsThe Telegraph.

The videos minutely tracked any possible indications of why the babies started crying and their emotions post the crying episode. Most of the times the babies turned out to be unhappy before they started crying but in one episode positive reactions were noted in the younger child till her mother moved away from her while playing.

According to the researchers, it was a fake cry or better to say a call for attention demanding that the mother come back and resume playing with her. The infant "appeared to cry deliberately to get her mother's attention and convey to her [mother] that she wanted her to come closer and play with her again" said, Hiroko Nakayama, who led the study, reports Foxnews.  "This appeared to be an instance of fake crying." The fake crying was immediately identified by the researchers as the kid stopped crying and smiled once her mother was back.

However, the scientists have not associated fake crying any negative emotions. According to the researchers, fake crying helps in building emotional attachment with the parents to a great extent. "Infants who are capable of fake crying might communicate successfully with their caregivers in this way on a daily basis. Fake crying could add much to their relationships," Nakayama said in a statement.

The younger child reported higher number of crying episodes. The probable reason might have been that she had to compete against her two older siblings, demanding similar attention. The other participant was the only child of her parents.

"Siblings can enrich social interactions at home and increase their variety. Such environmental factors are known to stimulate the development of communication skills of infants," reads the study published in the latest issue of Infant Behavior and Development Journal.