Babies are already familiar with certain basic social concepts at the age of less than one year. For example, they use body size as an indication of the social hierarchy in society.


Children understand from the age of a few months that the larger beings, namely the adults, are the leaders, while the smaller beings, the children, are subordinate to the adults. This concept is one of nature's basic survival instincts.
The same applies to animals: the bigger, the stronger. In aggressive fighting behaviour, birds fluff up their feathers to appear larger. Cats ruffle their fur to gain body volume.