A small study on child development looked at the role music and movement has between babies and adults. To anyone that has rocked a baby and sung a lullably, you probably know already the soothing affect it can have. The question this study asked was:
What makes young children behave in a pro-social way — taking actions that help others and benefit the group?
Babies that were moved in synchrony with a partner and to the beat of a music demonstrated more signs of social connection than a baby who didn’t.
The study also looked at the effect of lullabies on the moms who sang them. The lullaby calmed down the baby, but it also calmed down the mom who sang them.
