Maternal Speech and Behavior During Mother-infant Play：comparison Between the United States and Japan
Year: 2000
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The present study investigated cultural characteristics of maternal speech and behaviors during mother-infant play.Forty-four 13-month-old infants and their mothers were recruited in the Unites States and Japan and observed at their homes.The results showed that American mothers emphasized labeling objects, talking about infants' activities and states, and encouraged infants, by giving, showing, and pointing an object more than their Japanese counterparts; whereas, Japanese mothers emphasized social routines and empathy, by showing the model and gesturing.Mothers' behaviors were less than speech in frequency; however, most speech entailed behaviors so that infants can easily understand what mothers say.Findings suggest that American culture emphasizes language and self development and Japanese culture emphasizes social and emotional development.The studies of maternal speech and behaviors have been done from the view point of language development and further research is needed to investigate the relationship between maternal speech and behaviors and child language and social development.
Authors: Sueko Toda, Marc H. Bornstein, Hiroshi Azuma
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W148265946