Baby Jaden is at the circus with her family when suddenly a clown appears. Not knowing what to make of it, she looks at her moth
er's face. After noticing that her mother is smiling and laughing, she also begins to smile and laugh. Which of the following best describes Jaden's situation?A. facial feedback modeling B. facial feedback hypothesis
C. social paradigm
D. social referencing
Social referencing is one of the most important mechanisms that help a child understand the world around them. Social referencing takes place when an infant observes the facial expressions and affective displays of adults to measure and regulate their own behavior towards situations, people, and objects. In the context provided, Jaden did not know if the clown represented something bad or dangerous, or if it represented something harmless. She only knows the clown is not only safe but supposedly funny after noticing her mother's facial expression and reaction to the clown. Jaden has used social referencing.
