Work

Infants’ vocalizations at 6 months predict their productive vocabulary at one year

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: Long before their first words, children communicate by using speech-like vocalizations. These protophones might be indicative of infants' later language development. We here examined infants' (n = 56) early vocalizations at 6 months (vocal reactivity scale of the IBQ-R) as a predictor of their expressive and receptive language at 12 months (German version of the CDI). Regression analyses revealed vocalizations to significantly predict expressive, but not receptive language. Our findings in German-learning 6-month-olds extend previous predictive evidence of early vocalizations reported for older infants. Together these findings are informative in light of early assessments monitoring typical and atypical language development.

Source: Infant Behavior and Development

DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101588

Authors: Annika Werwach, Dirk Mürbe, Gesa Schaadt, Claudia Männel

Institutions: Leipzig University, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin

Language: English

Topic: Language Development and Disorders

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,700