Explain how social referencing functions in infancy.

Infants and children tend to use social referencing when a social situation is ambiguous. They observe those around them to see how others are reacting to the situation. They use this information to make decisions on how to act, often modeling others' responses. For example, an infant will judge the friendliness of the expression his/her mother has on her face when interacting with a stranger, subsequently showing the stranger a similar expression.