Acquisition of social referencing via discrimination training in infants.

Pelaez et al. (2012) worked with 11 babies who were not on the spectrum. The babies sat on mom’s lap while a toy appeared on the left or right.

Mom’s face was the only cue. Joy meant the toy was safe to reach. Fear meant leave it alone. The team switched the rules back and forth to be sure the babies were really watching the face.

Every baby learned the game in minutes. When mom smiled, they reached. When mom looked scared, they pulled back.

When the team stopped giving any toy after the face cue, the reaching stopped. The babies’ choices were now controlled only by mom’s expression.

Couger et al. (2022) took the same idea and taught toddlers with autism to check an adult’s face before touching unknown items. They added a safety chain: look at face → decide → act. The skill held with new toys and new rooms.

Capio et al. (2013) flipped the logic. They used a ‘no-reinforcement’ face to help kids with Angelman syndrome stop rushing every adult. One cue told the kids, ‘Not now,’ and approaches dropped fast. Same tool, opposite goal.

Hilton et al. (2010) did a similar move with an adult. A black lanyard signaled ‘extinction’ and cut excessive social bids. Together these studies show a face or small object can work as a green light or a stop sign across ages and diagnoses.

You can build social referencing in one short session. Pick a clear facial cue, pair it with a consequence, and reverse the rules a few times to prove stimulus control. Use joy/fear for infants, thumbs-up/shake for older kids, or a colored card for learners who need a visual S-delta. Once the cue controls behavior, fade the extra reinforcement and watch the skill travel to new toys, people, and places.