Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 13, 2025
08:20
A Within-subjects Experimental Protocol to Assess the Effects of Social Input on Infant EEG
Published on: May 3, 2017
8.1K
Maternal input and infants' response to infant-directed speech.
Vivien Outters1,2, Melanie S Schreiner1,2,3,4, Tanya Behne2,5
1Department for Psychology of Language, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany.
Summary
Infants prefer infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS) at 6 months, but not at 13 months. Maternal IDS quality influences infant preference, but not gaze following.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Infant Communication
Background:
- Caregivers commonly use infant-directed speech (IDS), characterized by an exaggerated register.
- Infants demonstrate a preference for IDS over adult-directed speech (ADS).
- IDS plays a functional role in infant communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interplay between maternal IDS quality, infant preference for IDS over ADS, and the functional relevance of IDS.
- To examine these interactions at two key developmental stages: 6 and 13 months of age.
Main Methods:
- Assessed infant preference for IDS versus ADS.
- Measured infant gaze following behavior in response to different speech registers.
- Quantified the quality of maternal IDS exposure.
Main Results:
- Six-month-olds preferred IDS over ADS, while 13-month-olds did not show this preference.
- Both age groups exhibited differences in gaze following behavior based on speech register.
- Infant preference for IDS correlated with the quality of maternal IDS, but gaze following did not.
Conclusions:
- Infant preference for IDS evolves between 6 and 13 months.
- Maternal speech quality shapes infant IDS preference.
- The findings highlight a dynamic relationship between infant social signal preferences and available social cues.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Language Development
707
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
707
01:28Relationship with Parents: Attachment
151
Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
151
00:55Parental Care
12.4K
Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.
12.4K
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
314
Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Primary Temperament Types
314
01:20Attachment
365
Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
365
01:24Facial Feedback Hypothesis
447
Charles Darwin proposed that facial expressions are an evolutionary adaptation for communication. He argued that these expressions are not influenced by culture but are universal across species. For example, a snarling expression with exposed teeth signals a threat in many animals, including humans. Darwin also suggested that displaying an emotion can intensify the feeling. Smiling, for example, could enhance one's sense of happiness. This idea laid the foundation for understanding the role...
447