Researchers watched parents interact with their 3-year-olds, then followed the children for 15 years; those who experienced more warmth and encouragement showed stronger reward responses later
A parent encourages a toddler who is struggling with a puzzle. Another responds warmly when a child tries something new. These moments may seem ordinary, but researchers have found that the quality of parent-child interactions in early childhood is linked to how children’s brains respond to rewards years later. In a study that followed 465…
