What is one of the earliest social responses you may observe in an infant?

The social smile is one of the earliest social responses observed in infants, typically emerging around six to eight weeks of age. This smile serves as a fundamental form of communication for infants, signaling their engagement and recognition of others, particularly caregivers. It indicates the infant’s ability to respond socially and establishes early bonds. This behavior often prompts positive reactions from caregivers, reinforcing the infant's social interactions and emotional development.

While giggling, clapping, and crying are significant behaviors in an infant's repertoire, they represent different stages or types of responses. Giggling generally appears later in development, often associated with play and humor. Clapping is a milestone reached later, usually around the age of nine months to one year, indicating developing motor skills and cognitive understanding of social feedback. Crying, while it is a form of communication used by infants to express needs or discomfort, is not a social response in the same way the social smile is. Therefore, recognizing the social smile as an early social response highlights its importance in an infant's development of social engagement and emotional connections.