- Aha Moment
Do Kenyan infants want their parents to talk to them like children?
Shanice Adhiambo, Sybil Angela, Benjamin Baraza, Rosemary Gitau, Brenda Gwada, Cecile Juma, Irene Khavere, Annette Muhene, Irene Ngina, Joshua Omare, Veronica Ruguru, Jacob Rutto, Mouline Rutto, Emmanuel Simiyu, Lorna Wahome.
- April 8, 2024
- 12:51 pm
BEHAVIORAL THEME
OVERVIEW
How adults speak to the infants in their care matters to what the child understands, as even young infants have preferences on how they like to be addressed. These preferences are not universal across humans–even the youngest of humans. What type of language infants like is influenced by both environmental and psychological differences. This study is part of work undertaken by ManyBabies, a global consortium of developmental researchers.
THEMATIC AREAS
Talking in infant-directed speech (IDS), adults speak more slowly, in shorter sentences, at a higher voice, with repetitive melodies, and interspersed by longer pauses. Studies in Europe and North America have established that infants prefer to be spoken to in IDS, but that the quality of the interaction depends on the child’s developmental needs and its environment. Does this also hold true for infants in Kenya?