Abstract
Caregivers typically use an exaggerated speech register known as infant-directed speech (IDS) in communication with infants. Infants prefer IDS over adult-directed speech (ADS) and IDS is functionally relevant in infant-directed communication. We examined interactions among maternal IDS quality, infants' preference for IDS over ADS, and the functional relevance of IDS at 6 and 13months. While 6-month-olds showed a preference for IDS over ADS, 13-month-olds did not. Differences in gaze following behavior triggered by speech register (IDS vs. ADS) were found in both age groups. The degree of infants' preference for IDS (relative to ADS) was linked to the quality of maternal IDS infants were exposed to. No such relationship was found between gaze following behavior and maternal IDS quality and infants' IDS preference. The results speak to a dynamic interaction between infants' preference for different kinds of social signals and the social cues available to them.
Highlights
Infants and young children are typically addressed using a different speech style—referred to as infant-directed speech—compared with adults
|2 adults use to communicate, that is, adult-directed speech, with typically higher pitch, greater pitch range, and longer pauses between words in infant-directed speech (IDS) compared with ADS (Fernald et al, 1989)
The primary difference between IDS and ADS is the higher pitch used in interactions with infants across different age groups (Cristia, 2013), with increased variability in pitch, lengthening of vowels, and pauses in IDS relative to ADS
Summary
Infants and young children are typically addressed using a different speech style—referred to as infant-directed speech (hereafter, IDS)—compared with adults. |2 adults use to communicate, that is, adult-directed speech (hereafter, ADS), with typically higher pitch, greater pitch range, and longer pauses between words in IDS compared with ADS (Fernald et al, 1989). The use of IDS in interactions with infants plays a crucial role in early language development. IDS and ADS differ along prosodic, phonolexical, and syntactic dimensions (Cristia, 2013; Soderstrom, 2007). The primary difference between IDS and ADS is the higher pitch used in interactions with infants across different age groups (Cristia, 2013), with increased variability in pitch, lengthening of vowels, and pauses in IDS relative to ADS. IDS plays an affective role in early language, such that IDS is typically associated with the expression of positive emotions (Singh, Morgan, & Best, 2002)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
