# Masks and learning facial cues **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 3, 2021, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291 "2021-04-03T04:37:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/1 "2021-04-03T04:37:31Z")
Continuing the discussion from [Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2021 Breaking News](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/987): You sure that we learn facial expression cues visually? My perception has always been that I look at a face and feel how I’d feel if my face were like that. And I could have sworn I’d heard it had to with mirror neurons. Also, do you have any reason to think that, even if children actually didn’t see other faces and missed learning opportunities, they couldn’t make up any deficits later? I know children can learn a new language for far more than a year, and facial cues are body language. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/2 "2021-04-03T10:11:48Z")
The thread where this came from already has these articles. > [@Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2021 Breaking News](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/973): > > OK- how about some cites? I know that researchers have had the same thoughts. Surely there is a study out there? Here are some cites to get you started: NY Times report (unfortunately, they don’t seem to find any issues in socialization): Psychology Today: Another report from UPI: I’ll add a few more cites. As was noted in the thread, the primary caregivers would mostly be unmasked in their own home, so the child would see a lot of their caregivers’ faces. In addition, some people in the articles are recommending transparent face masks and being more intentional about giving face time. September 17, 2020 [Will face masks impede a child’s development? Here’s what the experts say.](https://www.advisory.com/en/daily-briefing/2020/09/17/masks) > [@](#): > > ### **But parents shouldn’t worry too much, experts say** > > Despite these challenges, experts said parents shouldn’t worry too much about face masks interfering with their children’s development, as children are malleable and can pick up language and social skills in a variety of ways. > > “We should give more credit to our own children,” Eva Chen—a developmental psychologist and associate professor at the **Hong Kong University** **of Science and Technology** who studies children’s cognitive development—said. “[B]eing covered for a few hours every day isn’t going to make them less able to recognize social expressions.” > > As Chen explained, children focus on much more than just an individual’s mouth; they also pay attention to voices, gestures, and body language. In fact, a 2012 [study](https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_771569_9/component/file_1527244/content) found children could recognize facial emotions equally well whether or not a person was wearing a face mask. Moreover, there’s no evidence that children raised in cultures where mask wearing is fairly common, such as Hong Kong, fare any worse than other children at recognizing faces or emotions, Chen said. > **[Do Masks Impede Children’s Development? (Published 2020)](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/well/family/Masks-child-development.html)** > > Scientists who have studied the ways children process and use the information hidden by masks say that children will find ways to communicate, and that parents and teachers can help. > **[Masks Can Be Detrimental to Babies' Speech and Language Development](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/masks-can-be-detrimental-to-babies-speech-and-language-development1/)** > > The good news is that parents can take action to compensate > [@](#): > > Overall, the research to date demonstrates that the visible articulations that babies normally see when others are talking play a key role in their acquisition of communication skills. Research also shows that [babies who lip-read more have better language skills](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-child-language/article/attention-to-the-mouth-and-gaze-following-in-infancy-predict-language-development/209AED7224CC2D4C42D72A4109F00918) when they’re older. If so, this suggests that masks probably hinder babies’ acquisition of speech and language. > > Of course, the news is not all bad. Babies spend much of their time at home with their unmasked caregivers. It is only in day care or when out and about with their parents that they don’t see whole talking faces. Therefore, it may only be those situations that may have long-term negative consequences for babies. We need more research to tell us if this is the case. > **[Psychologist Calls For Clear Masks For Caregivers To Aid Child Development](https://www.wpr.org/education/psychologist-calls-clear-masks-caregivers-aid-child-development)** > > Babies learn an enormous amount of information from faces. From language to social cues, developmental psychologists say faces are a learning tool in the same way that books are. But with the coronavirus pandemic prompting orders and recommendations... > [@](#): > > Infants primarily focus on the mouth between 4 and 8 months old, and then again around 14 months when they begin [word learning](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022096517303028?via%3Dihub), according to Scott. Research also shows [5-year-olds](https://doi.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fdev0000750) pay close attention to mouths during conversation. > . . . > Familiar faces, like parents or caregivers, are particularly important for learning, Scott said. It’s still uncertain how wearing masks will affect language development of infants and young children, but Scott recommends if infants are exposed to masks for long periods, at home parents be intentional about giving face time. > **[Why Mask Wearing Won't Hinder Social Development For Most Children](https://theshow.kjzz.org/content/1600805/why-mask-wearing-wont-hinder-social-development-most-children)** > > LAUREN GILGER: Faces are incredibly important to infants and toddlers; reading and connecting to them is key to their development. So now that so many faces around us are partially covered by masks, what effect might that have on how they learn to... > [@](#): > > Yeah, what parents can do is they can get children to be comfortable and to start learning to recognize expressions, even with a mask on. So you could play what I call, ‘Am I mad, sad, happy or scared?’ game. So you have a mask on and you make a mad face with the mask on and you say, “Am I mad, happy or sad?” And if the child says, “You’re mad,” you lift up the mask [and say,] “You’re right, I’m mad, now it’s your turn.” This can help children to learn that facial expressions are more than just a mouth. There are other clues. There are eyes that can give you information. > **[The implications of face masks for babies and families during the COVID-19...](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7598570/)** > > COVID-19 has changed the way that newborn babies are cared for within the neonatal setting due to the introduction of social distancing and wearing of face masks to limit the spread of the infection. Potential implications exist related to the normal... > [@](#): > > ## Conclusion > > When caring for babies and families, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented many challenges for health professionals and parents. It is likely that during the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the population will cover their faces with a mask when in public, and in certain social situations. The difficulty in determining what facial expression a person is exhibiting behind a mask may present challenges for infants and young children as they depend on their parents’ facial expressions, coupled with tone and/or voice to regulate their reactions toward others. Health professionals should understand the potential effects of prolonged mask wearing to minimise any potential long-term impact on neonatal development and optimise psychological outcomes for babies, infants, children and their parents. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/3 "2021-04-03T12:03:14Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > I’ll add a few more cites. Is there a theme here? What is your conclusion from your cites? ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/4 "2021-04-03T12:31:53Z")
A brief look through suggests there’s cause for concern but ways to mitigate problems ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/5 "2021-04-03T12:33:34Z")
I work in an environment where, not only do we have to wear face masks, we also have to wear smocks that cover us from head to toe. When i first started working there I would have to meet people twice. Once in their smocks and once with out their smocks. It didn’t take long for me to start recognizing people by their eyes. Same with smiling. The cheek muscles rise and the eyes squint. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/6 "2021-04-03T12:59:33Z")
Do you think your abilities in that respect have changed since you were two years old? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/7 "2021-04-03T13:02:21Z")
I just meant to convey that if I can do it as an adult, a child should be able to do it easier. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/8 "2021-04-03T13:11:18Z")
Another thing that’s interesting about the environment I work in, is you also recognize people by the gait in their walk. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/9 "2021-04-03T13:26:39Z")
> [@FigNorton](#): > > Is there a theme here? What is your conclusion from your cites? From that post: > [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > As was noted in the thread, the primary caregivers would mostly be unmasked in their own home, so the child would see a lot of their caregivers’ faces. In addition, some people in the articles are recommending transparent face masks and being more intentional about giving face time. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/10 "2021-04-03T14:09:57Z")
That’s not really a conclusion. It’s an obvious observation and a suggestion. Children learn from their peers. Some of that can be substituted with siblings but not always. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/11 "2021-04-03T16:47:34Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I just meant to convey that if I can do it as an adult, a child should be able to do it easier. Well, you’re incorrect. Children need to learn that skill. In one of the articles Roo linked, there was a suggestion for people dealing with certain ages to wear identifying similar clothes/accessories to help children with recognizing them. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/12 "2021-04-03T18:00:22Z")
Sure, they need to learn it. But it’s easier for them bc they don’t have any preconceived notions of how to recognize somebody. It took me a minute bc I normally recognize people by their face. As most people do. But if a child grows up in an environment where faces are covered, that child will naturally find other ways of recognizing people. At that young age, their synaptic pathways are still developing, thus making it easier for them to learn. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/13 "2021-04-03T18:11:39Z")
Well, that’s a theory but it’s unconnected to what you said earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/14 "2021-04-03T19:46:30Z")
Looks like the CDC and WHO/UNICEF have conflicting thoughts. The WHO doesn’t recommend masks for children under 5 years old: > **[Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Children and masks](https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/q-a-children-and-masks-related-to-covid-19)** > > These questions and answers were developed by WHO and UNICEF. Each country is facing a different situation in the pandemic with changing transmission intensity, circulating variants of concern, and capacities for health systems to respond. As the... > An international and multidisciplinary expert group brought together by WHO reviewed evidence on COVID-19 disease and transmission in children and the limited available evidence on the use of masks by children. > Based on this and other factors such as childrens’ psychosocial needs and developmental milestones, WHO and UNICEF advise the following: > > Children aged **5 years and under** should not be required to wear masks. This is based on the safety and overall interest of the child and the capacity to appropriately use a mask with minimal assistance. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/15 "2021-04-03T21:10:43Z")
> [@Trom](#): > > Looks like the CDC and WHO/UNICEF have conflicting thoughts. The WHO doesn’t recommend masks for children under 5 years old: The WHO/UNICEF used the [following methodology](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-IPC_Masks-Children-2020.1) to come to that conclusion in meetings held between June and August 2020 and doesn’t appear to have revisited it as far as I can tell. > The World Health Organization (WHO) Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidance Development Group (GDG) and experts from UNICEF and the International Paediatric Association (IPA) jointly reviewed the available evidence to develop guidance on the use of masks for children in the context of the current pandemic. Five international expert meetings were held between June and August 2020. **In the absence of strong scientific evidence, consensus among these groups forms the main basis for this guidance.** Furthermore, the draft guidance was reviewed by a multidisciplinary group of additional external experts prior to finalization. The CDC appears to continually reassess the impact of COVID-19 in children on an ongoing basis, [such as here](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/pdfs/mm7009a4-H.pdf). > Compared with seroprevalence data from older age groups in Mississippi, data from this study sample suggests that **cumulative infection rates by mid-September among persons aged \<18 years were similar to those among persons aged 18–49 years, the age group with the highest seroprevalence during the period.** It should also be noted that they are likely coming from different places, much as many economists are trying to play epidemiologist right now to get us to start going out and buying shit again. UNICEF most certainly is weighing COVID risks against issues around child development/education, abuse in the home, impact on HIV in children, and poverty and hunger, for instance. This is where many pediatricians were focused as well, which is why many were against most remote learning. I believe CDC is pretty focused on how do we stop COVID-19 as the highest priority. I don’t really blame either of the two as they appear to be concerned about their wheelhouses first. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/16 "2021-04-03T21:22:35Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I know children can learn a new language for far more than a year, and facial cues are body language. You can learn languages your whole life, it just gets harder and after a certain age, you’ll probably never sound like a native speaker. I’m sure children will adapt but if your language analogy holds, they may never be quite as good in some skills if they’re masked or isolated through a certain developmental stage. Little Johnny may never learn a proper sneer! Can we live with that?!? 😀 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/17 "2021-04-03T22:12:10Z")
I would agree if it were their entire childhood (and this actually did impact them) but my proposal is that they’ll make it up during the normal time period, same as children can do when they start learning a new language a few years later. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/18 "2021-04-04T00:35:03Z")
Ok, I’m not talking about some great harm here but your ability to learn a language degrades as you get older. I don’t think you can assume you can always “catch up” completely. A teenager is able to become completely fluent in a language but will likely retain a hint of accent if he didn’t start at 6 yrs old. This is uncharted territory. I don’t think any educated child development expert would simply wave away the possibility that spending ages 2-4 in a masked cohort could cause harm. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/19 "2021-04-04T03:45:22Z")
Here’s this: > **[At What Age Does Our Ability to Learn a New Language Like a Native Speaker...](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/at-what-age-does-our-ability-to-learn-a-new-language-like-a-native-speaker-disappear/)** > > Despite the conventional wisdom, a new study shows picking up the subtleties of grammar in a second language does not fade until well into the teens Which includes: > [@](#): > > from three Boston-based universities showed children are proficient at learning a second language up until the age of 18, roughly 10 years later than earlier estimates. But the study also showed that it is best to start by age 10 if you want to achieve the grammatical fluency of a native speaker. Note the specific use of “grammatical fluency”. There’s windows of opportunity for childhood learning. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291/20 "2021-04-04T12:32:42Z")
> [@FigNorton](#): > > I don’t think any educated child development expert would simply wave away the possibility that spending ages 2-4 in a masked cohort could cause harm. But is the harm worse than watching their grandmother die, and later realizing they were the source of her disease? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masks-and-learning-facial-cues/939291.md?page=2)