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Conversational time patterns and mutual influence in parent-child interactions: a time series approach
J Welkowitz1, R N Bond, L Feldman
1Department of Psychology, New York University, New York 10003.
Journal of Psycholinguistic Research
|July 1, 1990
Summary
Parent-child interactions show mutual influence in speech patterns, particularly in switching pause durations. This attunement is affected by conversational structure and parental expressiveness, with gender differences observed in boys' influence patterns.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Mutual influence is fundamental to parent-child bonding and development.
- Previous research identified preverbal infants and mothers exhibiting temporal speech attunement.
- This study extends attunement research to verbally developing children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate mutual influence (attunement) in temporal speech patterns of 4-5 year olds and their parents.
- To examine the impact of interaction structure, parent/child gender, and parental traits on attunement.
- To extend prior findings on infant-mother attunement to older children.
Main Methods:
- Parents and their 4-5 year old children engaged in structured and unstructured conversations.
- Automated computer analysis measured turns, vocalizations, pauses, and switching-pause durations.
- Time series regression calculated "influence coefficients" to assess interspeaker attunement.
Main Results:
- Mutual influence was most pronounced in switching-pause duration.
- Conversational structure (task, parental instrumentality) enhanced vocalization and switching-pause attunement.
- Girls showed equal attunement with both parents; boys exhibited greater father influence.
- Parental expressiveness facilitated child switching-pause attunement.
Conclusions:
- Temporal speech attunement is a key mechanism in parent-child interaction beyond infancy.
- Conversational context and parental characteristics modulate this attunement.
- Gender-specific interaction patterns suggest different developmental influences for boys and girls.