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Updated: May 12, 2026

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
06:57

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Published on: May 14, 2019

Contingency drives children's vocal behavior.

Maithri Sivaraman1, Martha Pelaez2

  • 1Health Studies and Applied Educational Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|May 11, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Caregiver vocal imitation and parentese significantly enhance infant vocalizations. These contingent responses are effective interventions for clinical populations, improving vocal frequency and quality.

Keywords:
contingent vocal imitationinfant‐directed speechparentesereinforcementvocalizations

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Behavior Analysis
  • Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

  • Infant vocalizations are crucial for early communication development.
  • Caregiver responses shape infant vocal behavior.
  • Contingent caregiver vocalizations include imitation and parentese.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence on the effects of contingent vocal imitation and parentese on infant vocalizations.
  • To assess the effectiveness of these interventions in clinical populations.
  • To explore underlying mechanisms and future research directions.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of studies on infant-caregiver vocal interactions.
  • Analysis of methodological and procedural details in prior research.
  • Examination of effects on vocalization frequency and quality.

Main Results:

  • Contingent vocal imitation and parentese positively impact infant vocalizations.
  • These strategies demonstrate effectiveness in clinical intervention studies.
  • Observed effects include increased frequency and improved quality of vocalizations.

Conclusions:

  • Contingent caregiver vocalizations are vital for infant speech development.
  • Interventions utilizing imitation and parentese show promise for clinical applications.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate mechanisms and optimize interventions.