Fundamental frequency in speech directed to deaf or hearing infants by deaf or hearing mothers
Year: 1998
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Fundamental Frequency In Speech Directed To Deaf or Hearing Infants by Deaf or Hearing Mothers (60 pp.)This study investigated the acoustical properties of "motherese" in interactions between Deaf or hearing mothers and their deaf or hearing ninemonth-old infants.It was assumed that levels of maternal auditory functioning would have an impact on the pitch modulation in infant-directed (ID) vocalizations.Furthermore, it was proposed that the specific communicative functions of ID pitch modulation, as hypothesized in the "motherese" literature, may be accomplished by other communicative forms more appropriate to the sensory capacities of a deaf infant; these other communicative modalities, such as visual-gestural, are typically inherent in the communicative style of a deaf mother.Data were derived from videotaped observations of 53 mothers during face-to-face interactions with their infants.Summary measurements of the fundamental frequency of maternal vocal utterances revealed that maternal hearing status and infant hearing status affected the mean level of pitch and of pitch variability.Theories of intuitive parenting, cultural difference, and motherese guide conclusions generated from the results.
Source: The Mathematics Enthusiast
Author: Meg Ann Traci
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2480154021