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Ordinary Interactions Challenge Proposals That Maternal Verbal Responses Shape Infant Vocal Development
Mary K Fagan1, Kate N Doveikis2
1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Chapman University, Irvine, CA.
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|October 4, 2017
Summary
Maternal responses do not significantly shape infant vocal development in everyday interactions. Infant vocalizations, particularly consonant-vowel sounds, increase with age, independent of maternal feedback.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Child Development
Background:
- Infant vocal development is influenced by early social interactions.
- Previous research suggested maternal responses shape infant vocalizations through imitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if maternal verbal responses shape infant vocal development in naturalistic settings.
- To investigate if infants modify vocalizations to match maternal speech patterns.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 35 infants (4-14 months) and their mothers.
- Observed naturalistic interactions involving toys and picture books.
- Analyzed maternal response rates and infant vocalizations.
Main Results:
- Mothers responded to only 30% of infant vocalizations, lower than experimental rates.
- Infants showed minimal vocal form matching to maternal responses.
- Consonant-vowel vocalizations increased significantly with infant age.
Conclusions:
- Findings do not support response-based mechanisms for infant vocal development in typical interactions.
- Infant vocal development, specifically consonant-vowel production, progresses with age.
- Further research may explore other factors influencing infant vocalizations.
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