The article studies a gap in current knowledge of the so-called problem of primary data entry (PDE) by reviewing relevant theories on emotional contagion and empirical data obtained from experiments on crying in newborns. This paper highlights the critical properties of emotional contagion and empathy for further discussion on the differences of their appearance and evolutionary advantage. This discussion article concludes that emotional contagion can happen without awareness of the existence of emotional stimuli, as people are able to recognize the emotional state of others without even knowing about the existence of other people's emotional expressions. Emotional contagion is likely an essential trigger in solving PDE. The article discusses: (a) Even if newborns possess an innate repetition mechanism, the problem of PDE makes imitation meaningless that may not promote the cognitive development in infants. (b) Whether emotional contagion transfers meaningful content even being occur without self-awareness. (c) Whether emotional contagion contributes to beginning of knowing in newborns. (d) Whether emotional contagion in newborns challenges knowledge about social interaction. Given these observations, emotional contagion in mother-newborn dyads could be considered a manifestation of the mental coherence that unconsciously provides intentionality in acquiring social meanings. We propose further research considering this effect of non-perceptual social interaction as a manifestation of another modality of social interaction that promotes the shaping of social reality in newborns and social learning at the beginning of life.