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Endevelt-Shapira Y, Bosseler AN, Mizrahi JC, Meltzoff AN, Kuhl PK. Mother-infant social and language interactions at 3 months are associated with infants' productive language development in the third year of life. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 75:101929. [PMID: 38581728 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.101929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies underscore the importance of social interactions for child language development-particularly interactions characterized by maternal sensitivity, infant-directed speech (IDS), and conversational turn-taking (CT) in one-on-one contexts. Although infants engage in such interactions from the third month after birth, the prospective link between speech input and maternal sensitivity in the first half year of life and later language development has been understudied. We hypothesized that social interactions embodying maternal sensitivity, IDS and CTs in the first 3 months of life, are significantly associated with later language development and tested this using a longitudinal design. Using a sample of 40 3-month-old infants, we assessed maternal sensitivity during a structured mother-infant one-on-one (1:1) interaction based on a well-validated scoring system (the Coding Interactive Behavior system). Language input (IDS, CT) was assessed during naturally occurring interactions at home using the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system. Language outcome measures were obtained from 18 to 30 months of age using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory. Three novel findings emerged. First, maternal sensitivity at 3 months was significantly associated with infants' productive language scores at 18, 21, 24, 27, and 30 months of age. Second, LENA-recorded IDS during mother-infant 1:1 interaction in the home environment at 3 months of age was positively correlated with productive language scores at 24, 27, and 30 months of age. Third, mother-infant CTs during 1:1 interaction was significantly associated with infants' productive language scores at 27 and 30 months of age. We propose that infants' social attention to speech during this early period-enhanced by sensitive maternal one-on-one interactions and IDS-are potent factors in advancing language development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexis N Bosseler
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, USA
| | - Julia C Mizrahi
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, USA
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, USA; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, USA
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Kuhl PK. Birds and babies: Ontogeny of vocal learning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2405626121. [PMID: 38722815 PMCID: PMC11127051 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2405626121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia K. Kuhl
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
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Endevelt-Shapira Y, Bosseler AN, Zhao TC, Mizrahi JC, Meltzoff AN, Kuhl PK. Heart-to-heart: infant heart rate at 3 months is linked to infant-directed speech, mother-infant interaction, and later language outcomes. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1380075. [PMID: 38756844 PMCID: PMC11096508 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1380075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Previous studies underscore the importance of speech input, particularly infant-directed speech (IDS) during one-on-one (1:1) parent-infant interaction, for child language development. We hypothesize that infants' attention to speech input, specifically IDS, supports language acquisition. In infants, attention and orienting responses are associated with heart rate deceleration. We examined whether individual differences in infants' heart rate measured during 1:1 mother-infant interaction is related to speech input and later language development scores in a longitudinal study. Methods Using a sample of 31 3-month-olds, we assessed infant heart rate during mother-infant face-to-face interaction in a laboratory setting. Multiple measures of speech input were gathered at 3 months of age during naturally occurring interactions at home using the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system. Language outcome measures were assessed in the same children at 30 months of age using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI). Results Two novel findings emerged. First, we found that higher maternal IDS in a 1:1 context at home, as well as more mother-infant conversational turns at home, are associated with a lower heart rate measured during mother-infant social interaction in the laboratory. Second, we found significant associations between infant heart rate during mother-infant interaction in the laboratory at 3 months and prospective language development (CDI scores) at 30 months of age. Discussion Considering the current results in conjunction with other converging theoretical and neuroscientific data, we argue that high IDS input in the context of 1:1 social interaction increases infants' attention to speech and that infants' attention to speech in early development fosters their prospective language growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaara Endevelt-Shapira
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Alexis N. Bosseler
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - T. Christina Zhao
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Julia C. Mizrahi
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Andrew N. Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Patricia K. Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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4
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Hutton JS, Piotrowski JT, Bagot K, Blumberg F, Canli T, Chein J, Christakis DA, Grafman J, Griffin JA, Hummer T, Kuss DJ, Lerner M, Marcovitch S, Paulus MP, Perlman G, Romeo R, Thomason ME, Turel O, Weinstein A, West G, Pietra PHD, Potenza MN. Digital Media and Developing Brains: Concerns and Opportunities. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2024; 11:287-298. [PMID: 38606363 PMCID: PMC11003891 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-024-00545-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Purpose of Review The incorporation of digital technologies and their use in youth's everyday lives has been increasing rapidly over the past several decades with possible impacts on youth development and mental health. This narrative review aimed to consider how the use of digital technologies may be influencing brain development underlying adaptive and maladaptive screen-related behaviors. Recent Findings To explore and provide direction for further scientific inquiry, an international group of experts considered what is known, important gaps in knowledge, and how a research agenda might be pursued regarding relationships between screen media activity and neurodevelopment from infancy through childhood and adolescence. While an understanding of brain-behavior relationships involving screen media activity has been emerging, significant gaps exist that have important implications for the health of developing youth. Summary Specific considerations regarding brain-behavior relationships involving screen media activity exist for infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood; middle childhood; and adolescence. Transdiagnostic frameworks may provide a foundation for guiding future research efforts. Translating knowledge gained into better interventions and policy to promote healthy development is important in a rapidly changing digital technology environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S. Hutton
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA and Division of General and Community Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX USA
| | | | - Kara Bagot
- Departments of Psychiatry & Pediatrics, Addiction Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Fran Blumberg
- Division of Psychological and Educational Services, Fordham University, New York, NY USA
| | - Turhan Canli
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY USA
| | - Jason Chein
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Dimitri A. Christakis
- Center for Child Health Behaviour and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Jordan Grafman
- The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab & Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL USA
| | - James A. Griffin
- The National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, USA
| | - Tom Hummer
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN USA
| | - Daria J. Kuss
- International Gaming Research Unit and Cyberpsychology Group, NTU Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Matthew Lerner
- Departments of Psychology, Psychiatry & Pediatrics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA and AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Stuart Marcovitch
- Department Of Psychology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC USA
| | | | - Greg Perlman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony, Brook University, Stony Brook, NY USA
| | - Rachel Romeo
- Departments of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology, Hearing & Speech Sciences, and Neuroscience & Cognitive Sciences, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD USA
| | - Moriah E. Thomason
- Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Population Health, New York University, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Ofir Turel
- College of Business and Economics, California State University, Fullerton, CA USA
- Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Aviv Weinstein
- The Isadore and Ruth Kastin Chair for Brain Research, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Gregory West
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra
- Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, Jericho, NY USA
- Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook Medicine, Stony Brook, NY USA
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Departments of Psychiatry, Child Study and Neuroscience, Connecticut Mental Health Center, Yale School of Medicine, Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06517 USA
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Ferjan Ramírez N, Weiss Y, Sheth KK, Kuhl PK. Parentese in infancy predicts 5-year language complexity and conversational turns. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2024; 51:359-384. [PMID: 36748287 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000923000077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Parental input is considered a key predictor of language achievement during the first years of life, yet relatively few studies have assessed its effects on longer-term outcomes. We assess the effects of parental quantity of speech, use of parentese (the acoustically exaggerated, clear, and higher-pitched speech), and turn-taking in infancy, on child language at 5 years. Using a longitudinal dataset of daylong LENA recordings collected with the same group of English-speaking infants (N=44) at 6, 10, 14, 18, 24 months and then again at 5 years, we demonstrate that parents' consistent (defined as stable and high) use of parentese in infancy was a potent predictor of lexical diversity, mean length of utterance, and frequency of conversational turn-taking between children and adults at Kindergarten entry. Together, these findings highlight the potential importance of a high-quality language learning environment in infancy for success at the start of formal schooling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yael Weiss
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kaveri K Sheth
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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6
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Ferjan Ramirez N, Hippe DS, Braverman A, Weiss Y, Kuhl PK. A comparison of automatic and manual measures of turn-taking in monolingual and bilingual contexts. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:1936-1952. [PMID: 37145293 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02127-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The Language ENvironment Analysis system (LENA) records children's language environment and provides an automatic estimate of adult-child conversational turn count (CTC) by automatically identifying adult and child speech in close temporal proximity. To assess the reliability of this measure, we examine correlation and agreement between LENA's CTC estimates and manual measurement of adult-child turn-taking in two corpora collected in the USA: a bilingual corpus of Spanish-English-speaking families with infants between 4 and 22 months (n = 37), and a corpus of monolingual families with English-speaking 5-year-olds (n = 56). In each corpus for each child, 100 30-second segments were extracted from daylong recordings in two ways, yielding a total of 9300 minutes of manually annotated audio. LENA's CTC estimate for the same segments was obtained through the LENA software. The two measures of CTC had low correlations for the segments from the monolingual 5-year-olds sampled in both ways, and somewhat higher correlations for the bilingual samples. LENA substantially overestimated CTC on average, relative to manual measurement, for three out of four analysis conditions, and limits of agreement were wide in all cases. Segment-level analyses demonstrated that accidental contiguity had the largest individual impact on LENA's average CTC error, affecting 12-17% of analyzed segments. Other factors significantly contributing to CTC error were speech from other children, presence of multiple adults, and presence of electronic media. These results indicate wide discrepancies between LENA's CTC estimates and manual CTCs, and call into question the comparability of LENA's CTC measure across participants, conditions, and developmental time points.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel S Hippe
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Clinical Research Division, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adeline Braverman
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yael Weiss
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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7
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Çetinçelik M, Rowland CF, Snijders TM. Ten-month-old infants' neural tracking of naturalistic speech is not facilitated by the speaker's eye gaze. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 64:101297. [PMID: 37778275 PMCID: PMC10543766 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Eye gaze is a powerful ostensive cue in infant-caregiver interactions, with demonstrable effects on language acquisition. While the link between gaze following and later vocabulary is well-established, the effects of eye gaze on other aspects of language, such as speech processing, are less clear. In this EEG study, we examined the effects of the speaker's eye gaze on ten-month-old infants' neural tracking of naturalistic audiovisual speech, a marker for successful speech processing. Infants watched videos of a speaker telling stories, addressing the infant with direct or averted eye gaze. We assessed infants' speech-brain coherence at stress (1-1.75 Hz) and syllable (2.5-3.5 Hz) rates, tested for differences in attention by comparing looking times and EEG theta power in the two conditions, and investigated whether neural tracking predicts later vocabulary. Our results showed that infants' brains tracked the speech rhythm both at the stress and syllable rates, and that infants' neural tracking at the syllable rate predicted later vocabulary. However, speech-brain coherence did not significantly differ between direct and averted gaze conditions and infants did not show greater attention to direct gaze. Overall, our results suggest significant neural tracking at ten months, related to vocabulary development, but not modulated by speaker's gaze.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melis Çetinçelik
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Caroline F Rowland
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tineke M Snijders
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Cognitive Neuropsychology Department, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
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8
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Huber E, Ferjan Ramírez N, Corrigan NM, Kuhl PK. Parent coaching from 6 to 18 months improves child language outcomes through 30 months of age. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13391. [PMID: 36999222 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Interventions focused on the home language environment have been shown to improve a number of child language outcomes in the first years of life. However, data on the longer-term effects of the intervention are still somewhat limited. The current study examines child vocabulary and complex speech outcomes (N = 59) during the year following completion of a parent-coaching intervention, which was previously found to increase the quantity of parent-child conversational turns and to improve child language outcomes through 18 months of age. Measures of parental language input, child speech output, and parent-child conversational turn-taking were manually coded from naturalistic home recordings (Language Environment Analysis System, LENA) at regular 4-month intervals when children were 6- to 24-months old. Child language skills were assessed using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) at four time-points following the final intervention session (at 18, 24, 27, and 30 months). Vocabulary size and growth from 18 to 30 months was greater in the intervention group, even after accounting for differences in child language ability during the intervention period. The intervention group also scored higher on measures of speech length and grammatical complexity, and these effects were mediated by 18-month vocabulary. Intervention was associated with increased parent-child conversational turn-taking in home recordings at 14 months, and mediation analysis suggested that 14-month conversational turn-taking accounted for intervention-related differences in subsequent vocabulary. Together, the results suggest enduring, positive effects of parental language intervention and underscore the importance of interactive, conversational language experience during the first 2 years of life. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Parent coaching was provided as part of a home language intervention when children were 6-18 months of age. Naturalistic home language recordings showed increased parent-child conversational turn-taking in the intervention group at 14 months of age. Measures of productive vocabulary and complex speech indicated more advanced expressive language skills in the intervention group through 30 months of age, a full year after the final intervention session. Conversational turn-taking at 14 months predicted subsequent child vocabulary and accounted for differences in vocabulary size across the intervention and control groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Huber
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Neva M Corrigan
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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9
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Huber E, Corrigan NM, Yarnykh VL, Ferjan Ramírez N, Kuhl PK. Language Experience during Infancy Predicts White Matter Myelination at Age 2 Years. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1590-1599. [PMID: 36746626 PMCID: PMC10008053 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1043-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Parental input is considered a key predictor of language achievement during the first years of life, yet relatively few studies have assessed the effects of parental language input and parent-infant interactions on early brain development. We examined the relationship between measures of parent and child language, obtained from naturalistic home recordings at child ages 6, 10, 14, 18, and 24 months, and estimates of white matter myelination, derived from quantitative MRI at age 2 years (mean = 26.30 months, SD = 1.62, N = 22). Analysis of the white matter focused on dorsal pathways associated with expressive language development and long-term language ability, namely, the left arcuate fasciculus (AF) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). Frequency of parent-infant conversational turns (CT) uniquely predicted myelin density estimates in both the AF and SLF. Moreover, the effect of CT remained significant while controlling for total adult speech and child speech-related utterances, suggesting a specific role for interactive language experience, rather than simply speech exposure or production. An exploratory analysis of 18 additional tracts, including the right AF and SLF, indicated a high degree of anatomic specificity. Longitudinal analyses of parent and child language variables indicated an effect of CT as early as 6 months of age, as well as an ongoing effect over infancy. Together, these results link parent-infant conversational turns to white matter myelination at age 2 years, and suggest that early, interactive experiences with language uniquely contribute to the development of white matter associated with long-term language ability.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Children's earliest experiences with language are thought to have profound and lasting developmental effects. Recent studies suggest that intervention can increase the quality of parental language input and improve children's learning outcomes. However, important questions remain about the optimal timing of intervention, and the relationship between specific aspects of language experience and brain development. We report that parent-infant turn-taking during home language interactions correlates with myelination of language related white matter pathways through age 2 years. Effects were independent of total speech exposure and infant vocalizations and evident starting at 6 months of age, suggesting that structured language interactions throughout infancy may uniquely support the ongoing development of brain systems critical to long-term language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Huber
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Neva M Corrigan
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Vasily L Yarnykh
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
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10
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Lin JFL, Imada T, Meltzoff AN, Hiraishi H, Ikeda T, Takahashi T, Hasegawa C, Yoshimura Y, Kikuchi M, Hirata M, Minabe Y, Asada M, Kuhl PK. Dual-MEG interbrain synchronization during turn-taking verbal interactions between mothers and children. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:4116-4134. [PMID: 36130088 PMCID: PMC10068303 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Verbal interaction and imitation are essential for language learning and development in young children. However, it is unclear how mother-child dyads synchronize oscillatory neural activity at the cortical level in turn-based speech interactions. Our study investigated interbrain synchrony in mother-child pairs during a turn-taking paradigm of verbal imitation. A dual-MEG (magnetoencephalography) setup was used to measure brain activity from interactive mother-child pairs simultaneously. Interpersonal neural synchronization was compared between socially interactive and noninteractive tasks (passive listening to pure tones). Interbrain networks showed increased synchronization during the socially interactive compared to noninteractive conditions in the theta and alpha bands. Enhanced interpersonal brain synchrony was observed in the right angular gyrus, right triangular, and left opercular parts of the inferior frontal gyrus. Moreover, these parietal and frontal regions appear to be the cortical hubs exhibiting a high number of interbrain connections. These cortical areas could serve as a neural marker for the interactive component in verbal social communication. The present study is the first to investigate mother-child interbrain neural synchronization during verbal social interactions using a dual-MEG setup. Our results advance our understanding of turn-taking during verbal interaction between mother-child dyads and suggest a role for social "gating" in language learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo-Fu Lotus Lin
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan.,Institute of Linguistics, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
| | - Toshiaki Imada
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Hirotoshi Hiraishi
- Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1 Chome-20-1 Handayama, Higashi Ward, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Takashi Ikeda
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | | | - Chiaki Hasegawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Yuko Yoshimura
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hirata
- Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka University Medical School, 2 Chome-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshio Minabe
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Minoru Asada
- Department of Adaptive Machine Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
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11
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Ferjan Ramírez N, Hippe DS, Lindekugel K. Electronic media and social features of language input in bilingually-raised Latinx infants. Infant Behav Dev 2022; 68:101740. [PMID: 35749825 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The present study examines the language environments of bilingually-raised Latinx infants (n = 37) to characterize the relation between exposure to electronic media and infants' language input, with a specific focus on parentese, a near-universal style of infant-directed speech, distinguished by its higher pitch, slower tempo, and exaggerated intonation. Previous research shows that parentese and parent-infant turn-taking are both associated with advances in children's language learning. Here we test the hypothesis that exposure to electronic media is associated with a reduction in these two social features of language input. Using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) technology, two daylong audio recordings were collected from each family. Exposure to electronic media was measured in three ways: 1) Through LENA's automatic estimate; 2) Through manual annotation of LENA audio recordings; and 3) Through a parental questionnaire. Language of electronic media, parental language input, and child language output were quantified through automatic and manual analyses of LENA recordings. Infants' estimated daily exposure to electronic media varied between the three methods used. There was a significant positive correlation between daily media exposure assessed via the two observational methods, but neither significantly correlated with parental report. Infants experienced electronic media in Spanish and English, and the language of electronic media correlated with the language of paternal and maternal child-directed speech. Linear regression analyses controlling for demographics (infant age, sex, socioeconomic status) demonstrated a negative association between exposure to electronic media and parentese, as well as between exposure to electronic media and turn-taking. Exposure to electronic media was also negatively associated with infants' linguistic vocalizations. The present findings suggest that exposure to electronic media negatively impacts infant vocal activity by reducing parental parentese and parent-infant turn-taking, which are known to positively impact infants' linguistic, socioemotional, and cognitive development. This analysis is an important step forward in understanding Latinx infants' electronic media ecologies and their relation to language input and language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Daniel S Hippe
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Katie Lindekugel
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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12
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Terrace HS, Bigelow AE, Beebe B. Intersubjectivity and the Emergence of Words. Front Psychol 2022; 13:693139. [PMID: 35602746 PMCID: PMC9116197 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.693139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intersubjectivity refers to two non-verbal intersubjective relations infants experience during their first year that are precursors to the emergence of words. Trevarthen, a pioneer in the study of intersubjectivity, referred to those relations as primary and secondary intersubjectivity. The former, a dyadic coordination between the infant and her caregiver, begins at birth. The latter, a triadic coordination that develops around 9 months, allows the infant and a caregiver to share attention to particular features of the environment. Secondary intersubjectivity is crucial for an infant’s ability to begin to produce words, at around 12 months. Much research on the social and cognitive origins of language has focused on secondary intersubjectivity. That is unfortunate because it neglects the fact that secondary intersubjectivity and the emergence of words are built on a foundation of primary intersubjectivity. It also ignores the evolutionary origins of intersubjectivity and its uniquely human status. That unique status explains why only humans learn words. This article seeks to address these issues by relating the literature on primary intersubjectivity, particularly research on bi-directional and contingent communication between infants and mothers, to joint attention and ultimately to words. In that context, we also discuss Hrdy’s hypothesis about the influence of alloparents on the evolution of intersubjectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herbert S Terrace
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ann E Bigelow
- Department of Psychology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada
| | - Beatrice Beebe
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City, NY, United States
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13
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Kao C, Sera MD, Zhang Y. Emotional Speech Processing in 3- to 12-Month-Old Infants: Influences of Emotion Categories and Acoustic Parameters. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:487-500. [PMID: 35015972 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-21-00234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate infants' listening preference for emotional prosodies in spoken words and identify their acoustic correlates. METHOD Forty-six 3- to-12-month-old infants (M age = 7.6 months) completed a central fixation (or look-to-listen) paradigm in which four emotional prosodies (happy, sad, angry, and neutral) were presented. Infants' looking time to the string of words was recorded as a proxy of their listening attention. Five acoustic variables-mean fundamental frequency (F0), word duration, intensity variation, harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR), and spectral centroid-were also analyzed to account for infants' attentiveness to each emotion. RESULTS Infants generally preferred affective over neutral prosody, with more listening attention to the happy and sad voices. Happy sounds with breathy voice quality (low HNR) and less brightness (low spectral centroid) maintained infants' attention more. Sad speech with shorter word duration (i.e., faster speech rate), less breathiness, and more brightness gained infants' attention more than happy speech did. Infants listened less to angry than to happy and sad prosodies, and none of the acoustic variables were associated with infants' listening interests in angry voices. Neutral words with a lower F0 attracted infants' attention more than those with a higher F0. Neither age nor sex effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence for infants' sensitivity to the prosodic patterns for the basic emotion categories in spoken words and how the acoustic properties of emotional speech may guide their attention. The results point to the need to study the interplay between early socioaffective and language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chieh Kao
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis
| | - Maria D Sera
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis
- Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis
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14
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Feldman NH, Goldwater S, Dupoux E, Schatz T. Do Infants Really Learn Phonetic Categories? OPEN MIND 2022; 5:113-131. [PMID: 35024527 PMCID: PMC8746127 DOI: 10.1162/opmi_a_00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Early changes in infants’ ability to perceive native and nonnative speech sound contrasts are typically attributed to their developing knowledge of phonetic categories. We critically examine this hypothesis and argue that there is little direct evidence of category knowledge in infancy. We then propose an alternative account in which infants’ perception changes because they are learning a perceptual space that is appropriate to represent speech, without yet carving up that space into phonetic categories. If correct, this new account has substantial implications for understanding early language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi H Feldman
- Department of Linguistics and UMIACS, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | | | - Emmanuel Dupoux
- Cognitive Machine Learning (ENS - EHESS - PSL Research University - CNRS - INRIA), Paris, France
| | - Thomas Schatz
- Department of Linguistics and UMIACS, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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15
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Heffler KF, Frome LR, Garvin B, Bungert LM, Bennett DS. Screen time reduction and focus on social engagement in autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study. Pediatr Int 2022; 64:e15343. [PMID: 36348519 DOI: 10.1111/ped.15343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing concern regarding early screen media exposure and its potential effects on developmental delays including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there is little research examining whether interventions can decrease screen media exposure and ASD behaviors among children with ASD. METHODS Participants were nine children, 18 to 40 months old, with an ASD diagnosis who watched screens at least 2 h per day. Screen viewing history and weekly screen viewing and social interaction were assessed. The intervention involved a parent education program followed by weekly 1 h in-home support visits aimed at replacing screen time with social engagement time over a 6 month period. Child autism symptoms (Brief Observation of Social Communication Change), functional behavior (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales), and development (Mullen Scales of Early Learning) were assessed before and after intervention; parents completed questionnaires on parental stress (Autism Parenting Stress Index) and their perceptions of the intervention. RESULTS Children's screen viewing decreased from an average of 5.6 h/day prior to intervention to 5 min/day during the study. Significant improvements were observed in core autism symptoms and parental stress from pre- to post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS Parent education and training/support to minimize screen time and increase social interaction for young children with ASD was tolerated well by parents and children. These promising preliminary results suggest that further research on early screen media viewing, ASD, and screen reduction intervention is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Frankel Heffler
- Department of Psychiatry, Drexel University College of Medicine and Tower Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Tower Health, West Reading, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lori R Frome
- INVO Healthcare Services, Jamison, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brigid Garvin
- AJ Drexel Autism Institute of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lindsay M Bungert
- AJ Drexel Autism Institute of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David S Bennett
- Department of Psychiatry, Drexel University College of Medicine and Tower Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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16
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17
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Graham KE, Buryn-Weitzel JC, Lahiff NJ, Wilke C, Slocombe KE. Detecting joint attention events in mother-infant dyads: Sharing looks cannot be reliably identified by naïve third-party observers. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255241. [PMID: 34297777 PMCID: PMC8301644 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Joint attention, or sharing attention with another individual about an object or event, is a critical behaviour that emerges in pre-linguistic infants and predicts later language abilities. Given its importance, it is perhaps surprising that there is no consensus on how to measure joint attention in prelinguistic infants. A rigorous definition proposed by Siposova & Carpenter (2019) requires the infant and partner to gaze alternate between an object and each other (coordination of attention) and exchange communicative signals (explicit acknowledgement of jointly sharing attention). However, Hobson and Hobson (2007) proposed that the quality of gaze between individuals is, in itself, a sufficient communicative signal that demonstrates sharing of attention. They proposed that observers can reliably distinguish “sharing”, “checking”, and “orienting” looks, but the empirical basis for this claim is limited as their study focussed on two raters examining looks from 11-year-old children. Here, we analysed categorisations made by 32 naïve raters of 60 infant looks to their mothers, to examine whether they could be reliably distinguished according to Hobson and Hobson’s definitions. Raters had overall low agreement and only in 3 out of 26 cases did a significant majority of the raters agree with the judgement of the mother who had received the look. For the looks that raters did agree on at above chance levels, look duration and the overall communication rate of the mother were identified as cues that raters may have relied upon. In our experiment, naïve third party observers could not reliably determine the type of look infants gave to their mothers, which indicates that subjective judgements of types of look should not be used to identify mutual awareness of sharing attention in infants. Instead, we advocate the use of objective behaviour measurement to infer that interactants know they are ‘jointly’ attending to an object or event, and believe this will be a crucial step in understanding the ontogenetic and evolutionary origins of joint attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty E. Graham
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Nicole J. Lahiff
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Wilke
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
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18
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Novack MA, Brentari D, Goldin-Meadow S, Waxman S. Sign language, like spoken language, promotes object categorization in young hearing infants. Cognition 2021; 215:104845. [PMID: 34273677 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The link between language and cognition is unique to our species and emerges early in infancy. Here, we provide the first evidence that this precocious language-cognition link is not limited to spoken language, but is instead sufficiently broad to include sign language, a language presented in the visual modality. Four- to six-month-old hearing infants, never before exposed to sign language, were familiarized to a series of category exemplars, each presented by a woman who either signed in American Sign Language (ASL) while pointing and gazing toward the objects, or pointed and gazed without language (control). At test, infants viewed two images: one, a new member of the now-familiar category; and the other, a member of an entirely new category. Four-month-old infants who observed ASL distinguished between the two test objects, indicating that they had successfully formed the object category; they were as successful as age-mates who listened to their native (spoken) language. Moreover, it was specifically the linguistic elements of sign language that drove this facilitative effect: infants in the control condition, who observed the woman only pointing and gazing failed to form object categories. Finally, the cognitive advantages of observing ASL quickly narrow in hearing infants: by 5- to 6-months, watching ASL no longer supports categorization, although listening to their native spoken language continues to do so. Together, these findings illuminate the breadth of infants' early link between language and cognition and offer insight into how it unfolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam A Novack
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America; Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America.
| | - Diane Brentari
- Department of Linguistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Susan Goldin-Meadow
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Sandra Waxman
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
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19
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Lurie LA, Hagen MP, McLaughlin KA, Sheridan MA, Meltzoff AN, Rosen ML. Mechanisms linking socioeconomic status and academic achievement in early childhood: Cognitive stimulation and language. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2021; 58:101045. [PMID: 33986564 PMCID: PMC8112571 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2021.101045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
There is a strong positive association between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and academic achievement. This disparity may, in part, be explained by differences in early environmental experiences and language development. Cognitive stimulation-including language exposure, access to learning materials, caregiver involvement in children's learning, and variety of experiences-varies by SES and may link SES to language development. Childhood language development in turn is associated with academic achievement. In the current longitudinal study of 101 children (60-75 months), SES was positively associated with cognitive stimulation and performance on language measures. Cognitive stimulation mediated the association between SES and children's language. Furthermore, children's language mediated the association between SES and academic achievement 18 months later. In addition to addressing broader inequalities in access to resources that facilitate caregivers' abilities to provide cognitive stimulation, cognitive stimulation itself could be targeted in future interventions to mitigate SES-related disparities in language and academic achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Lurie
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
| | | | | | - Margaret A Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington
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20
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Çetinçelik M, Rowland CF, Snijders TM. Do the Eyes Have It? A Systematic Review on the Role of Eye Gaze in Infant Language Development. Front Psychol 2021; 11:589096. [PMID: 33584424 PMCID: PMC7874056 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.589096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Eye gaze is a ubiquitous cue in child–caregiver interactions, and infants are highly attentive to eye gaze from very early on. However, the question of why infants show gaze-sensitive behavior, and what role this sensitivity to gaze plays in their language development, is not yet well-understood. To gain a better understanding of the role of eye gaze in infants' language learning, we conducted a broad systematic review of the developmental literature for all studies that investigate the role of eye gaze in infants' language development. Across 77 peer-reviewed articles containing data from typically developing human infants (0–24 months) in the domain of language development, we identified two broad themes. The first tracked the effect of eye gaze on four developmental domains: (1) vocabulary development, (2) word–object mapping, (3) object processing, and (4) speech processing. Overall, there is considerable evidence that infants learn more about objects and are more likely to form word–object mappings in the presence of eye gaze cues, both of which are necessary for learning words. In addition, there is good evidence for longitudinal relationships between infants' gaze following abilities and later receptive and expressive vocabulary. However, many domains (e.g., speech processing) are understudied; further work is needed to decide whether gaze effects are specific to tasks, such as word–object mapping or whether they reflect a general learning enhancement mechanism. The second theme explored the reasons why eye gaze might be facilitative for learning, addressing the question of whether eye gaze is treated by infants as a specialized socio-cognitive cue. We concluded that the balance of evidence supports the idea that eye gaze facilitates infants' learning by enhancing their arousal, memory, and attentional capacities to a greater extent than other low-level attentional cues. However, as yet, there are too few studies that directly compare the effect of eye gaze cues and non-social, attentional cues for strong conclusions to be drawn. We also suggest that there might be a developmental effect, with eye gaze, over the course of the first 2 years of life, developing into a truly ostensive cue that enhances language learning across the board.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melis Çetinçelik
- Language Development Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Caroline F Rowland
- Language Development Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Tineke M Snijders
- Language Development Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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21
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Athari P, Dey R, Rvachew S. Vocal imitation between mothers and infants. Infant Behav Dev 2021; 63:101531. [PMID: 33582572 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal study was to observe and describe some aspects of vocal imitation in natural mother-infant interaction. Specifically, maternal imitation of infant utterances was observed in relation to the imitative modeling, mirrored equivalence, and social guided learning models of infant speech development. Nine mother-infant dyads were audio-video recorded. Infants were recruited at different ages between 6 and 11 months and followed for 3 months, providing a quasi-longitudinal series of data from 6 through 14 months of age. It was observed that maternal imitation was more frequent than infant imitation even though vocal imitation was a rare maternal response. Importantly, mothers used a range of contingent and noncontingent vocal responses in interaction with their infants. Mothers responded to three-quarters of their infant's vocalizations, including speech-like and less mature vocalization types. The infants' phonetic repertoire expanded with age. Overall, the findings are most consistent with the social guided learning approach. Infants rarely imitated their mothers, suggests a creative self-motivated learning mechanism that requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pegah Athari
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of McGill, Canada
| | - Rajib Dey
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of McGill, Canada
| | - Susan Rvachew
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of McGill, Canada.
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22
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Ferjan Ramírez N, Hippe DS, Kuhl PK. Comparing Automatic and Manual Measures of Parent-Infant Conversational Turns: A Word of Caution. Child Dev 2021; 92:672-681. [PMID: 33421100 PMCID: PMC8048438 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Language ENvironment Analysis system (LENA) records children’s language environment and provides an automatic estimate of adult–child conversational turn count (CTC). The present study compares LENA’s CTC estimate to manually coded CTC on a sample of 70 English‐speaking infants recorded longitudinally at 6, 10, 14, 18, and 24 months of age. At each age, LENA’s CTC was significantly higher than manually coded CTC (all ps < .001, Cohen’s ds: 0.9–2.05), with the largest discrepancies between the two methods observed at younger ages. The Limits of Agreement Analyses confirm wide disagreements between the two methods, highlighting potential problems with automatic measurement of parent–infant verbal interaction. These findings suggest that future studies should validate LENA’s CTC estimates with manual coding.
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23
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Sundara M, Ward N, Conboy B, Kuhl PK. Exposure to a second language in infancy alters speech production. BILINGUALISM (CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND) 2020; 23:1-14. [PMID: 33776544 PMCID: PMC7995492 DOI: 10.1017/s1366728919000853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated the impact of exposure to a second language on infants' emerging speech production skills. We compared speech produced by three groups of 12-month-old infants while they interacted with interlocutors who spoke to them in Spanish and English: monolingual English-learning infants who had previously received 5 hours of exposure to a second language (Spanish), English- and Spanish-learning simultaneous bilinguals, and monolingual English-learning infants without any exposure to Spanish. Our results showed that the monolingual English-learning infants with short-term exposure to Spanish and the bilingual infants, but not the monolingual English-learning infants without exposure to Spanish, flexibly matched the prosody of their babbling to that of a Spanish- or English-speaking interlocutor. Our findings demonstrate the nature and extent of benefits for language learning from early exposure to two languages. We discuss the implications of these findings for language organization in infants learning two languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Sundara
- Department of Linguistics, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Nancy Ward
- Department of Linguistics, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Barbara Conboy
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Redlands
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington
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24
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Ferjan Ramírez N, Lytle SR, Kuhl PK. Parent coaching increases conversational turns and advances infant language development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:3484-3491. [PMID: 32015127 PMCID: PMC7035517 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1921653117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental language input is one of the best predictors of children's language achievement. Parentese, a near-universal speaking style distinguished by higher pitch, slower tempo, and exaggerated intonation, has been documented in speech directed toward young children in many countries. Previous research shows that the use of parentese and parent-child turn-taking are both associated with advances in children's language learning. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine whether a parent coaching intervention delivered when the infants are 6, 10, and 14 mo of age can enhance parental language input and whether this, in turn, changes the trajectory of child language development between 6 and 18 mo of age. Families of typically developing 6-mo-old infants (n = 71) were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Naturalistic first-person audio recordings of the infants' home language environment and vocalizations were recorded when the infants were 6, 10, 14, and 18 mo of age. After the 6-, 10-, and 14-mo recordings, intervention, but not control parents attended individual coaching appointments to receive linguistic feedback, listen to language input in their own recordings, and discuss age-appropriate activities that promote language growth. Intervention significantly enhanced parental use of parentese and parent-child turn-taking between 6 and 18 mo. Increases in both variables were significantly correlated with children's language growth during the same period, and children's language outcomes at 18 mo. Using parentese, a socially and linguistically enhanced speaking style, improves children's social language turn-taking and language skills. Research-based interventions targeting social aspects of parent-child interactions can enhance language outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Roseberry Lytle
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195;
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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25
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Brooks R, Singleton JL, Meltzoff AN. Enhanced gaze-following behavior in Deaf infants of Deaf parents. Dev Sci 2019; 23:e12900. [PMID: 31486168 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Gaze following plays a role in parent-infant communication and is a key mechanism by which infants acquire information about the world from social input. Gaze following in Deaf infants has been understudied. Twelve Deaf infants of Deaf parents (DoD) who had native exposure to American Sign Language (ASL) were gender-matched and age-matched (±7 days) to 60 spoken-language hearing control infants. Results showed that the DoD infants had significantly higher gaze-following scores than the hearing infants. We hypothesize that in the absence of auditory input, and with support from ASL-fluent Deaf parents, infants become attuned to visual-communicative signals from other people, which engenders increased gaze following. These findings underscore the need to revise the 'deficit model' of deafness. Deaf infants immersed in natural sign language from birth are better at understanding the signals and identifying the referential meaning of adults' gaze behavior compared to hearing infants not exposed to sign language. Broader implications for theories of social-cognitive development are discussed. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/QXCDK_CUmAI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rechele Brooks
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jenny L Singleton
- Department of Linguistics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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26
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Receptive versus interactive video screens: A role for the brain's default mode network in learning from media. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2019.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Burling JM, Yoshida H. Visual Constancies Amidst Changes in Handled Objects for 5- to 24-Month-Old Infants. Child Dev 2018; 90:452-461. [PMID: 30566238 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Manual skills slowly develop throughout infancy and have been shown to create clear views of objects that provide better support for visually sustained attention, recognition, memory, and learning. These clear views may coincide with the development of manual skills, or that social scaffolding supports clear viewing experiences like those generated by toddlers during active object exploration. This study used a head-mounted eye tracker to record 5- to 24-month-olds' object views during repeated mother-infant play sessions (Ns = 18). Results show an early beginning of scaffolding in which parents generate views similar to those of older infants and toddlers, resulting in increased fixations to objects. The finding implicates parents as early scaffolders of object attention and learning.
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28
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Ferjan Ramírez N, Lytle SR, Fish M, Kuhl PK. Parent coaching at 6 and 10 months improves language outcomes at 14 months: A randomized controlled trial. Dev Sci 2018; 22:e12762. [PMID: 30318708 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies reveal an association between particular features of parental language input and advances in children's language learning. However, it is not known whether parent coaching aimed to enhance specific input components would (a) successfully increase these components in parents' language input and (b) result in concurrent increases in children's language development. The present randomized controlled trial assigned families of typically developing 6-month-old infants to Intervention (parent coaching) and Control (no coaching) groups. Families were equivalent on socioeconomic status, infants' gender, and infants' age. Parent coaching took place when infants were 6 and 10 months of age, and included quantitative and qualitative linguistic feedback on the amount of child-directed speech, back-and-forth interactions, and parentese speech style. These variables were derived from each family's first-person LENA recordings at home. Input variables and infant language were measured at 6, 10, and 14 months. Parent coaching significantly enhanced language input as measured by two social interaction variables: percentage of speech directed to the child and percentage of parentese speech. These two variables were correlated, and were both related to growth in infant babbling between 6 and 14 months. Intervention infants showed greater growth in babbling than Control infants. Furthermore, at 14 months, Intervention infants produced significantly more words than Control infants, as indicated by LENA recordings and parent report via the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory. Together, these results indicate that parent coaching can enrich specific aspects of parental language input, and can immediately and positively impact child language outcomes. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/7wqR28gPiwo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Sarah Roseberry Lytle
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Melanie Fish
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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29
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Hakuno Y, Omori T, Yamamoto JI, Minagawa Y. Social interaction facilitates word learning in preverbal infants: Word–object mapping and word segmentation. Infant Behav Dev 2017; 48:65-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Head Zauche L, Darcy Mahoney AE, Thul TA, Zauche MS, Weldon AB, Stapel-Wax JL. The Power of Language Nutrition for Children's Brain Development, Health, and Future Academic Achievement. J Pediatr Health Care 2017. [PMID: 28641740 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedhc.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Language Nutrition, a term created to describe language exposure that is rich in quality and quantity and delivered in the context of social interactions, is crucial for a child's development and is strongly associated with his/her future literacy, academic achievement, and health. However, significant differences in children's early language environments contribute to disparities in their educational and health trajectories. Interventions, including book distribution programs, coaching parents to enrich their child's language environment, and public awareness campaigns, have all been shown to positively influence a child's access to language-rich interactions. Incorporating Language Nutrition coaching and literacy promotion into pediatrics is a promising platform for building the capacity of parents to provide language exposure to their children. By teaching parents both how and why to treat their child as a conversational partner and by modeling such interactions, pediatric health care providers can help parents set their children on a pathway toward literacy, educational success, and health.
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31
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Ramírez-Esparza N, García-Sierra A, Kuhl PK. Look Who's Talking NOW! Parentese Speech, Social Context, and Language Development Across Time. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1008. [PMID: 28676774 PMCID: PMC5477750 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In previous studies, we found that the social interactions infants experience in their everyday lives at 11- and 14-months of age affect language ability at 24 months of age. These studies investigated relationships between the speech style (i.e., parentese speech vs. standard speech) and social context [i.e., one-on-one (1:1) vs. group] of language input in infancy and later speech development (i.e., at 24 months of age), controlling for socioeconomic status (SES). Results showed that the amount of exposure to parentese speech-1:1 in infancy was related to productive vocabulary at 24 months. The general goal of the present study was to investigate changes in (1) the pattern of social interactions between caregivers and their children from infancy to childhood and (2) relationships among speech style, social context, and language learning across time. Our study sample consisted of 30 participants from the previously published infant studies, evaluated at 33 months of age. Social interactions were assessed at home using digital first-person perspective recordings of the auditory environment. We found that caregivers use less parentese speech-1:1, and more standard speech-1:1, as their children get older. Furthermore, we found that the effects of parentese speech-1:1 in infancy on later language development at 24 months persist at 33 months of age. Finally, we found that exposure to standard speech-1:1 in childhood was the only social interaction that related to concurrent word production/use. Mediation analyses showed that standard speech-1:1 in childhood fully mediated the effects of parentese speech-1:1 in infancy on language development in childhood, controlling for SES. This study demonstrates that engaging in one-on-one interactions in infancy and later in life has important implications for language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nairán Ramírez-Esparza
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, StorrsCT, United States
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, StorrsCT, United States
| | - Adrián García-Sierra
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, StorrsCT, United States
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, StorrsCT, United States
| | - Patricia K. Kuhl
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, SeattleWA, United States
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32
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Eggebrecht AT, Elison JT, Feczko E, Todorov A, Wolff JJ, Kandala S, Adams CM, Snyder AZ, Lewis JD, Estes AM, Zwaigenbaum L, Botteron KN, McKinstry RC, Constantino JN, Evans A, Hazlett HC, Dager S, Paterson SJ, Schultz RT, Styner MA, Gerig G, Das S, Kostopoulos P, Schlaggar BL, Petersen SE, Piven J, Pruett JR. Joint Attention and Brain Functional Connectivity in Infants and Toddlers. Cereb Cortex 2017; 27:1709-1720. [PMID: 28062515 PMCID: PMC5452276 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Initiating joint attention (IJA), the behavioral instigation of coordinated focus of 2 people on an object, emerges over the first 2 years of life and supports social-communicative functioning related to the healthy development of aspects of language, empathy, and theory of mind. Deficits in IJA provide strong early indicators for autism spectrum disorder, and therapies targeting joint attention have shown tremendous promise. However, the brain systems underlying IJA in early childhood are poorly understood, due in part to significant methodological challenges in imaging localized brain function that supports social behaviors during the first 2 years of life. Herein, we show that the functional organization of the brain is intimately related to the emergence of IJA using functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging and dimensional behavioral assessments in a large semilongitudinal cohort of infants and toddlers. In particular, though functional connections spanning the brain are involved in IJA, the strongest brain-behavior associations cluster within connections between a small subset of functional brain networks; namely between the visual network and dorsal attention network and between the visual network and posterior cingulate aspects of the default mode network. These observations mark the earliest known description of how functional brain systems underlie a burgeoning fundamental social behavior, may help improve the design of targeted therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders, and, more generally, elucidate physiological mechanisms essential to healthy social behavior development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T Eggebrecht
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jed T Elison
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Eric Feczko
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Sciences, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Alexandre Todorov
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jason J Wolff
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Sridhar Kandala
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Chloe M Adams
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Abraham Z Snyder
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - John D Lewis
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Annette M Estes
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, 1E1 Walter Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre (WMC), Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada
| | - Kelly N Botteron
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Robert C McKinstry
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - John N Constantino
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Alan Evans
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Heather C Hazlett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
| | - Stephen Dager
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sarah J Paterson
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Robert T Schultz
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
| | - Guido Gerig
- Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Samir Das
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Penelope Kostopoulos
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | | | - Bradley L Schlaggar
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110,USA
| | - Steven E Petersen
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110,USA
| | - Joseph Piven
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
| | - John R Pruett
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
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33
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Effects of enriched auditory experience on infants’ speech perception during the first year of life. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11125-017-9397-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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34
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Ramírez-Esparza N, García-Sierra A, Kuhl PK. Look who's talking: speech style and social context in language input to infants are linked to concurrent and future speech development. Dev Sci 2014; 17:880-891. [PMID: 24702819 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2005.00445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 12/08/2013] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Language input is necessary for language learning, yet little is known about whether, in natural environments, the speech style and social context of language input to children impacts language development. In the present study we investigated the relationship between language input and language development, examining both the style of parental speech, comparing 'parentese' speech to standard speech, and the social context in which speech is directed to children, comparing one-on-one (1:1) to group social interactions. Importantly, the language input variables were assessed at home using digital first-person perspective recordings of the infants' auditory environment as they went about their daily lives (N =26, 11- and 14-months-old). We measured language development using (a) concurrent speech utterances, and (b) word production at 24 months. Parentese speech in 1:1 contexts is positively correlated with both concurrent speech and later word production. Mediation analyses further show that the effect of parentese speech-1:1 on infants' later language is mediated by concurrent speech. Our results suggest that both the social context and the style of speech in language addressed to children are strongly linked to a child's future language development.
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35
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Ramírez-Esparza N, García-Sierra A, Kuhl PK. Look who's talking: speech style and social context in language input to infants are linked to concurrent and future speech development. Dev Sci 2014; 17:880-91. [PMID: 24702819 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 12/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Language input is necessary for language learning, yet little is known about whether, in natural environments, the speech style and social context of language input to children impacts language development. In the present study we investigated the relationship between language input and language development, examining both the style of parental speech, comparing 'parentese' speech to standard speech, and the social context in which speech is directed to children, comparing one-on-one (1:1) to group social interactions. Importantly, the language input variables were assessed at home using digital first-person perspective recordings of the infants' auditory environment as they went about their daily lives (N =26, 11- and 14-months-old). We measured language development using (a) concurrent speech utterances, and (b) word production at 24 months. Parentese speech in 1:1 contexts is positively correlated with both concurrent speech and later word production. Mediation analyses further show that the effect of parentese speech-1:1 on infants' later language is mediated by concurrent speech. Our results suggest that both the social context and the style of speech in language addressed to children are strongly linked to a child's future language development.
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