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Published on: April 19, 2017
Exploring Variation in Infants' Preference for Infant-directed Speech: Evidence From a Multi-Site Study in Africa.
Angeline Sin Mei Tsui1, Alexandra Carstensen2, George Kachergis2
1Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Developmental Science
|July 7, 2026
Summary
Infants globally prefer infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS). This large-scale study confirms this preference in African infants, showing no difference in magnitude compared to European and North American infants.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Cross-cultural Studies
Background:
- Infants exhibit a preference for infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS).
- This preference is associated with language processing, word learning, and later language development.
- Previous research on IDS preference relied heavily on North American and European participants, limiting generalizability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cross-cultural consistency of infant-directed speech preference in African infants.
- To address the sampling bias in previous large-scale studies of IDS preference.
- To compare the magnitude of IDS preference in African infants with existing data from other populations.
Main Methods:
- A large-scale, multisite study involving 200 infants aged 3-15 months across six communities in Africa.
- Utilized a looking-time paradigm to measure infant responses to IDS versus ADS.
- Compared findings with a method-matched subsample from prior North American and European studies.
Main Results:
- A reliable preference for infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS) was observed in African infants.
- Infants looked approximately 6% longer at IDS compared to ADS.
- No significant difference was found in the magnitude of IDS preference between African infants and infants from prior studies.
Conclusions:
- The study provides robust evidence for the cross-cultural generalizability of infant-directed speech preference.
- The findings support the universality of infants' attunement to IDS characteristics.
- Highlights practical challenges and successes of conducting international, multisite developmental science research.
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