Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 1, 2025
11:50
Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Published on: January 7, 2020
26.4K
Infant vocal productions coincide with body movements
Jeremy I Borjon1,2,3, Drew H Abney4, Chen Yu5
1Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, USA.
Developmental Science
|March 4, 2024
Summary
Infants’ early word production involves hand and head movements. The coordination of these movements with vocalizations improves with age, enhancing speech clarity and motor development for language acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Motor control
- Speech acquisition
Background:
- Speech production is a complex motor task requiring intricate muscle coordination.
- Infant speech development, or word production, significantly lags behind receptive language skills.
- Limited research exists on the connection between non-speech motor skills and early speech quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between non-speech motor skills and early speech production in infants.
- To explore the co-activation of extraneous muscle groups (hands, head) during infant vocalizations.
- To determine how the temporal precision of these co-activations changes with age and speech development.
Main Methods:
- Observational study of infants aged 9 to 24 months.
- Analysis of spontaneous vocalizations and associated limb and head movements.
- Measurement of temporal precision in the co-activation of vocal and non-vocal muscle groups.
Main Results:
- Infants aged 9-24 months exhibit synergistic co-activation of hand and head movements during vocalizations.
- The temporal precision of vocal and extraneous muscle group co-activation increases with infant age.
- Improved temporal precision correlates with more recognizable speech productions.
Conclusions:
- Early speech production is linked to the coordination of speech and non-speech motor systems.
- Motor development plays a crucial role in the acquisition of recognizable speech.
- Findings offer new avenues for understanding the motor underpinnings of language development.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Language Development
362
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...
362
00:51Anatomical Movements
7.1K
Anatomical movements refer to the various actions or motions that can be performed by the body's joints and muscles. These movements are described using specific terms to provide a standardized way of discussing and understanding the range of motion at different joints.
Here are some common anatomical movements:
Flexion and extension motions are in the sagittal (anterior–posterior) plane of motion. These movements take place at the shoulder, hip, elbow, knee, wrist,...
Here are some common anatomical movements:
Flexion and extension motions are in the sagittal (anterior–posterior) plane of motion. These movements take place at the shoulder, hip, elbow, knee, wrist,...
7.1K
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
55
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
55
01:22Stages of Sleep
190
Sleep progresses through distinct stages, each characterized by specific brain wave patterns and physiological responses ranging from wakefulness to stages of non-rapid eye movement, known as non-REM, to rapid eye movement, referred to as REM. Understanding these stages helps in recognizing how sleep supports various bodily and cognitive functions.
Before sleep begins, in wakefulness, the brain exhibits primarily beta waves, which are high in frequency and low in amplitude, indicating alertness...
Before sleep begins, in wakefulness, the brain exhibits primarily beta waves, which are high in frequency and low in amplitude, indicating alertness...
190
01:24Facial Feedback Hypothesis
152
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...
152
01:13Nonconscious Mimicry
4.6K
Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.
4.6K