In a study done by Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at University of Washington, an experiment shows that a 15-month-old toddler readjust his behaviour after having observed the loud interaction between two grown ups, so that he can avoid further conflict and anger.

The latest I-LABS research shows that toddlers who watch an argument use that emotional information to avoid making adults angry.

The study, led by I-LABS' Betty Repacholi and Andrew Meltzoff, shows that children as young as 15 months can detect anger when watching other people's social interactions and then use that emotional information to guide their own behavior.

"Through studying the roots of social-emotional learning we are illuminating an important aspect of human personality and what helps kids succeed in life and school," said Meltzoff, co-director of I-LABS. "There's been a lot of attention on child problem-solving, but if we want to understand what makes kids tick, we need to study their social emotional lives, too."

Watch how joyful play turns to inner conflict: