Effects of Parental Interaction on Infant Vocalization Rate, Variability and Vocal Type.
Examination of infant vocalization patterns across interactive and noninteractive contexts may facilitate better understanding of early communication development. In the current study, with 24 infant-parent dyads, infant volubility increased significantly when parent interaction ceased (presenting a "still face," or SF) after a period of normal interaction ("face-to-face," or FF). Infant volubility continued at the higher rate than in FF when the parent re-engaged ("reunion," or RE). Additionally, during SF, thevariabilityin volubility across infants decreased, suggesting the infants adopted relatively similar rates of vocalization to re-engage the parent. The pattern of increasing volubility in SF was seen across all of the most common speech-like vocal types of the first half-year of life (e.g., full vowels, quasivowels, squeals, growls). Parent and infant volubility levels were not significantly correlated. The findings suggest that by six months of age infants have learned that their vocalizations have social value and that changes in volubility can affect parental engagement.
School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Memphis.
Beau
B
Franklin
Cognitive & Information Sciences, University of California, Merced.
Anne S
AS
Warlaumont
Department of Psychology, University of Miami.
Daniel
D
Messinger
School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Memphis.
Edina
E
Bene
Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education, University of Georgia.
Suneeti Nathani
SN
Iyer
School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Memphis.
Chia-Chang
CC
Lee
Department of Psychology, University of Miami.
Brittany
B
Lambert
School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Memphis.
D Kimbrough
DK
Oller