Question

1- Why do adolescents and adults stick their tongues out at infants? (Why not ask a few adolescents and adults?)

2- When you have observed infants,

- what kinds of behaviors have led you to think that one is "brilliant" or another one "dull"?

- How do your "methods" correspond to those used by researchers who attempt to assess intellectual functioning among infants?

Answer 1

Babies have a tendency to use their mouth in a variety of ways. If you notice your baby frequently sticking their tongue out, you may wonder whether this is a normal behavior. The short answer is yes; sticking the tongue out is typically a totally normal infant behavior.

Babies are born with a strong sucking reflex and instinct for feeding. Part of this reflex is the tongue-thrust reflex, in which babies stick their tongues out to prevent themselves from choking and to help latch on to the nipple.

Using their mouths is also the first way babies experience the world. It’s very common for them to mouth things and stick out their tongues, both as part of the feeding instinct and exploring the new world around them. Part of this behavior is your baby noticing the feel of his or her own lips.

Developmental delay is associated with a subsequent diagnosis of learning disability. However, the relationship between the age of reaching infant developmental milestones and later intellectual function within the general population remains unresolved. We hypothesized that earlier attainment of developmental milestones would be associated with better subsequent intellectual performance throughout the range of abilities, rather than confined to extremes.