Children Understand Human Gaze, Unresponsive to Humanoid Robot Gaze

Young children can read intentions in human eyes but do not recognize nonverbal communication in the gaze of humanoid robots, according to a new study.

Thu May 28 2026

Children Understand Nonverbal Communication in Human Gaze

Research indicates that even very young children (as young as 3 years old) can discern intentions and preferences in a person's eyes. This suggests that children effectively interpret nonverbal messages conveyed through eye contact during human interactions, highlighting the crucial role of gaze in forming social relationships and understanding others' minds.

Insensitive to Humanoid Robot Gaze

Notably, this ability does not extend to the gaze of humanoid robots. The same children did not recognize this type of nonverbal communication in the eyes of humanoid robots as they did in human eyes. This indicates that despite their human-like appearance, children perceive robots differently and have limitations in interpreting complex social cues from them.

*Source: Phys.org (2026-05-28)*

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