1
|
Cavero B, Martínez-Castilla P, Campos R. Let's make music as we normally do: A systematic review of how early natural musical interactions between infant and caregiver have been studied in research. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 75:101928. [PMID: 38422780 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.101928] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Musical interactions between babies and their primary caregivers are very frequent during the early years of life and their impact on dyadic interaction and infants' development has garnered significant attention in recent literature. However, the difficulties that natural observations entail have meant that research often carries out methodological manipulations that have a significant impact on the phenomenon studied. In order to clarify how to investigate best natural musical interactions and the information that these can provide, we have carried out a systematic review to analyze the proposed scenarios and the variables analyzed in the studies published on such interactions between main caregivers and babies under three years old. We have screened 971 articles and yielded 27. We have found a higher prevalence in the literature of studies on singing interactions, between mothers and babies under 12 months of age. We have also been able to identify two extremes in terms of methodological structuring of natural interactions. Regarding the analysis variables, a few behaviors are repeated throughout the studies, being emotions, rhythmic behaviors and characterizations of the vocal emissions common between parents and babies. Synchrony is the dyadic variable with the most weight and also one of the preferred focuses of interest in the most recent literature that has undergone a shift of focus from characterization of musical interactions to the search for the mechanisms that underlie and make them specific.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Cavero
- Department of Basic Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Pastora Martínez-Castilla
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruth Campos
- Department of Basic Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fram NR, Liu T, Lense MD. Social interaction links active musical rhythm engagement and expressive communication in autistic toddlers. Autism Res 2024; 17:338-354. [PMID: 38197536 PMCID: PMC10922396 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Rhythm is implicated in both social and linguistic development. Rhythm perception and production skills are also key vulnerabilities in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism which impact social communication. However, direct links between musical rhythm engagement and expressive communication in autism is not clearly evident. This absence of a direct connection between rhythm and expressive communication indicates that the mechanism of action between rhythm and expressive communication may recruit other cognitive or developmental factors. We hypothesized that social interactions, including general interpersonal relationships and interactive music-making involving children and caregivers, were a significant such factor, particularly in autism. To test this, we collected data from parents of autistic and nonautistic children 14-36 months of age, including parent reports of their children's rhythmic musical engagement, general social skills, parent-child musical interactions, and expressive communication skills. Path analysis revealed a system of independent, indirect pathways from rhythmic musical engagement to expressive communication via social skills and parent-child musical interactions in autistic toddlers. Such a system implies both that social and musical interactions represent crucial links between rhythm and language and that different kinds of social interactions play parallel, independent roles linking rhythmic musical engagement with expressive communication skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noah R. Fram
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| | - Talia Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University
| | - Miriam D. Lense
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Nguyen T, Reisner S, Lueger A, Wass SV, Hoehl S, Markova G. Sing to me, baby: Infants show neural tracking and rhythmic movements to live and dynamic maternal singing. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 64:101313. [PMID: 37879243 PMCID: PMC10618693 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Infant-directed singing has unique acoustic characteristics that may allow even very young infants to respond to the rhythms carried through the caregiver's voice. The goal of this study was to examine neural and movement responses to live and dynamic maternal singing in 7-month-old infants and their relation to linguistic development. In total, 60 mother-infant dyads were observed during two singing conditions (playsong and lullaby). In Study 1 (n = 30), we measured infant EEG and used an encoding approach utilizing ridge regressions to measure neural tracking. In Study 2 (n =40), we coded infant rhythmic movements. In both studies, we assessed children's vocabulary when they were 20 months old. In Study 1, we found above-threshold neural tracking of maternal singing, with superior tracking of lullabies than playsongs. We also found that the acoustic features of infant-directed singing modulated tracking. In Study 2, infants showed more rhythmic movement to playsongs than lullabies. Importantly, neural coordination (Study 1) and rhythmic movement (Study 2) to playsongs were positively related to infants' expressive vocabulary at 20 months. These results highlight the importance of infants' brain and movement coordination to their caregiver's musical presentations, potentially as a function of musical variability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Trinh Nguyen
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Susanne Reisner
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anja Lueger
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Samuel V Wass
- Department of Psychology, University of East London, University Way, London E16 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Stefanie Hoehl
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabriela Markova
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Institute for Early Life Care, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 13, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nguyen T, Flaten E, Trainor LJ, Novembre G. Early social communication through music: State of the art and future perspectives. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 63:101279. [PMID: 37515832 PMCID: PMC10407289 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of research shows that the universal capacity for music perception and production emerges early in development. Possibly building on this predisposition, caregivers around the world often communicate with infants using songs or speech entailing song-like characteristics. This suggests that music might be one of the earliest developing and most accessible forms of interpersonal communication, providing a platform for studying early communicative behavior. However, little research has examined music in truly communicative contexts. The current work aims to facilitate the development of experimental approaches that rely on dynamic and naturalistic social interactions. We first review two longstanding lines of research that examine musical interactions by focusing either on the caregiver or the infant. These include defining the acoustic and non-acoustic features that characterize infant-directed (ID) music, as well as behavioral and neurophysiological research examining infants' processing of musical timing and pitch. Next, we review recent studies looking at early musical interactions holistically. This research focuses on how caregivers and infants interact using music to achieve co-regulation, mutual engagement, and increase affiliation and prosocial behavior. We conclude by discussing methodological, technological, and analytical advances that might empower a comprehensive study of musical communication in early childhood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Trinh Nguyen
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology, Rome, Italy.
| | - Erica Flaten
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Laurel J Trainor
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Giacomo Novembre
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Alviar C, Sahoo M, Edwards L, Jones W, Klin A, Lense M. Infant-directed song potentiates infants' selective attention to adults' mouths over the first year of life. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13359. [PMID: 36527322 PMCID: PMC10276172 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which infant-directed (ID) speech and song support language development in infancy are poorly understood, with most prior investigations focused on the auditory components of these signals. However, the visual components of ID communication are also of fundamental importance for language learning: over the first year of life, infants' visual attention to caregivers' faces during ID speech switches from a focus on the eyes to a focus on the mouth, which provides synchronous visual cues that support speech and language development. Caregivers' facial displays during ID song are highly effective for sustaining infants' attention. Here we investigate if ID song specifically enhances infants' attention to caregivers' mouths. 299 typically developing infants watched clips of female actors engaging them with ID song and speech longitudinally at six time points from 3 to 12 months of age while eye-tracking data was collected. Infants' mouth-looking significantly increased over the first year of life with a significantly greater increase during ID song versus speech. This difference was early-emerging (evident in the first 6 months of age) and sustained over the first year. Follow-up analyses indicated specific properties inherent to ID song (e.g., slower tempo, reduced rhythmic variability) in part contribute to infants' increased mouth-looking, with effects increasing with age. The exaggerated and expressive facial features that naturally accompany ID song may make it a particularly effective context for modulating infants' visual attention and supporting speech and language development in both typically developing infants and those with or at risk for communication challenges. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/SZ8xQW8h93A. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Infants' visual attention to adults' mouths during infant-directed speech has been found to support speech and language development. Infant-directed (ID) song promotes mouth-looking by infants to a greater extent than does ID speech across the first year of life. Features characteristic of ID song such as slower tempo, increased rhythmicity, increased audiovisual synchrony, and increased positive affect, all increase infants' attention to the mouth. The effects of song on infants' attention to the mouth are more prominent during the second half of the first year of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camila Alviar
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Manash Sahoo
- Marcus Autism Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Laura Edwards
- Marcus Autism Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Warren Jones
- Marcus Autism Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ami Klin
- Marcus Autism Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Miriam Lense
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Liu T, Martinez-Torres K, Mazzone J, Camarata S, Lense M. Brief Report: Telehealth Music-Enhanced Reciprocal Imitation Training in Autism: A Single-Subject Feasibility Study of a Virtual Parent Coaching Intervention. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06053-z. [PMID: 37530912 PMCID: PMC10834845 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06053-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Telehealth delivery increases accessibility of parent-mediated interventions that teach parents skills and support autistic children's social communication. Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT), an evidence-based Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) focused on imitation skills, a common difficulty in autism, holds promise for telehealth-based parent training. Imitation is also a core component of musical play during childhood and the affordances of musical play/song naturally shape parent-child interactions. We evaluate the feasibility of a music-based, telehealth adaptation of RIT-music-enhanced RIT (tele-meRIT)-as a novel format for coaching parents in NDBI strategies. METHODS This single-subject, multiple baseline design study included 4 autistic children (32-53 months old) and their mothers. Parent-child dyads were recorded during 10-min free play probes at baseline, weekly tele-meRIT sessions, and one-week and one-month follow-up. Probes were coded for parents' RIT implementation fidelity, parent vocal musicality, and children's rate of spontaneous imitation. RESULTS No parent demonstrated implementation fidelity during baseline. All parents increased their use of RIT strategies, met fidelity by the end of treatment, and maintained fidelity at follow-up. Parent vocal musicality also increased from baseline. Intervention did not consistently increase children's imitation skills. A post-intervention evaluation survey indicated high parent satisfaction with tele-meRIT and perceived benefits to their children's social and play skills more broadly. CONCLUSION Implementing tele-meRIT is feasible. Although tele-meRIT additionally involved coaching in incorporating rhythmicity and song into play interactions, parents achieved fidelity in the RIT principles, suggesting one avenue by which music can be integrated within evidence-based parent-mediated NDBIs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Talia Liu
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Keysha Martinez-Torres
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Julie Mazzone
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Stephen Camarata
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Miriam Lense
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
- The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sharman KM, Meissel K, Tait JE, Rudd G, Henderson AME. The effects of live parental infant-directed singing on infants, parents, and the parent-infant dyad: A systematic review of the literature. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 72:101859. [PMID: 37343492 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101859] [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: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Singing to infants is widely accepted as an enjoyable, positive, and beneficial interaction between the parent and infant across cultures. Whilst the literature suggests that live infant-directed singing impacts the infant, the parent doing the singing and the dyad in powerful ways, no systematic review of the evidence has yet been conducted. To this end, this systematic review identified 21 studies that investigated the effect of live parental infant-directed singing. These impacts were categorized as either being directly related to the infant, the parent, or the parent-infant dyad. Three main themes - one for each of the impact categories considered - were identified using thematic analysis techniques; infant-directed singing impacts on: infants' emotional regulation, provides validation of the parent's role, and promotes affect attunement within the dyad. The findings reinforce the benefits of live parental infant-directed singing for all parties involved, particularly when parents sing to typically developing infants born at full term. In contrast, the findings were inconsistent for pre-term infants. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten M Sharman
- School of Learning, Development and Professional Practice, Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kane Meissel
- School of Learning, Development and Professional Practice, Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Josie E Tait
- School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Georgia Rudd
- School of Learning, Development and Professional Practice, Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Izen SC, Cassano-Coleman RY, Piazza EA. Music as a window into real-world communication. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1012839. [PMID: 37496799 PMCID: PMC10368476 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1012839] [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: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Communication has been studied extensively in the context of speech and language. While speech is tremendously effective at transferring ideas between people, music is another communicative mode that has a unique power to bring people together and transmit a rich tapestry of emotions, through joint music-making and listening in a variety of everyday contexts. Research has begun to examine the behavioral and neural correlates of the joint action required for successful musical interactions, but it has yet to fully account for the rich, dynamic, multimodal nature of musical communication. We review the current literature in this area and propose that naturalistic musical paradigms will open up new ways to study communication more broadly.
Collapse
|
9
|
Six facial prosodic expressions caregivers similarly display to infants and dogs. Sci Rep 2023; 13:929. [PMID: 36650174 PMCID: PMC9845226 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26981-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Parents tend to use a specific communication style, including specific facial expressions, when speaking to their preverbal infants which has important implications for children's healthy development. In the present study, we investigated these facial prosodic features of caregivers with a novel method that compares infant-, dog- and adult-directed communication. We identified three novel facial displays in addition to the already described three facial expressions (i.e. the 'prosodic faces') that mothers and fathers are typically displaying when interacting with their 1-18 month-old infants and family dogs, but not when interacting with another adult. The so-called Special Happy expression proved to be the most frequent face type during infant- and dog-directed communication which always includes a Duchenne marker to convey an honest and intense happy emotion of the speaker. These results suggest that the 'prosodic faces' play an important role in both adult-infant and human-dog interactions and fulfil specific functions: to call and maintain the partner's attention, to foster emotionally positive interactions, and to strengthen social bonds. Our study highlights the relevance of future comparative studies on facial prosody and its potential contribution to healthy emotional and cognitive development of infants.
Collapse
|
10
|
Lense M, Liu T, Booke L, Crawley Z, Beck S. Integrated parent-child music classes for preschoolers with and without autism: Parent expectations and experiences. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1517:78-87. [PMID: 35979848 PMCID: PMC9671817 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Integrated recreational programs designed to support neurodiverse children and their families are important vehicles for community participation. In this mixed-methods study, we investigated the mechanisms by which parent-child music classes for autistic and neurotypical children can support community participation. Parents of autistic (n = 33) and typically developing (TD; n = 28) preschoolers were interviewed about their expectations for and experiences of participating in a 12-week psychoeducational parent-child music program. Parents completed ratings of momentary affect and social connection, and researchers coded children's behavioral engagement during classes at multiple time points throughout the program. Primary motivations for enrolling in an integrated music class included children's interest in music and opportunities for child socialization. Parent-focused reasons were less frequently endorsed as primary motivations for participation. Yet, momentary ratings indicated that music classes supported parents' affect regulation and social connection with other parents at the level of individual classes and across the program. These in-class experiences were echoed by interviews following program completion, which additionally highlighted the use of new parenting strategies through the musical activities. Since parental emotional experiences of activities, supportive community relationships, and parenting confidence are all linked with increased community participation, integrated music classes may support participation and satisfaction with community experiences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Lense
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Talia Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lauren Booke
- In Tune Music & Wellness, Bellevue, Tennessee, USA
- Augsburg University, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Zoe Crawley
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Psychology & Human Development, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sara Beck
- Department of Psychology, Randolph College, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Liu T, Schultz BG, Dai D, Liu C, Lense MD. Parent-Child Nonverbal Engagement During Read Versus Sung Book-Sharing in Preschoolers with and without ASD. PSYCHOLOGY OF MUSIC 2022; 50:1721-1739. [PMID: 36381385 PMCID: PMC9648075 DOI: 10.1177/03057356211058781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Providing natural opportunities that scaffold interpersonal engagement is important for supporting social interactions for young children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Musical activities are often motivating, familiar, and predictable, and may support both children and their interaction partners by providing opportunities for shared social engagement. We assessed multiple facets of nonverbal social engagement - child and caregiver visual attention and interpersonal movement coordination - during musical (song) and non-musical (picture) book-sharing contexts in caregiver-child dyads of preschoolers with (n = 13) and without (n = 16) ASD. Overall, children with ASD demonstrated reduced visual attention during the book sharing activity, as well as reduced movement coordination with their caregivers, compared to children with typical development. Children in both diagnostic groups, as well as caregivers, demonstrated greater visual attention (gaze toward the activity and/or social partner) during song books compared to picture books. Visual attention behavior was correlated between children and caregivers in the ASD group but only in the song book condition. Findings highlight the importance of considering how musical contexts impact the behavior of both partners in the interaction. Musical activities may support social engagement by modulating the behavior of both children and caregivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Talia Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| | | | - Danielle Dai
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| | - Christina Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| | - Miriam D. Lense
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy, Vanderbilt University
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
I challenge Mehr et al.'s contention that ancestral mothers were reluctant to provide all the attention demanded by their infants. The societies in which music emerged likely involved foraging mothers who engaged in extensive infant carrying, feeding, and soothing. Accordingly, their singing was multimodal, its rhythms aligned with maternal movements, with arousal regulatory consequences for singers and listeners.
Collapse
|
13
|
Wulff V, Hepp P, Wolf OT, Fehm T, Schaal NK. The influence of maternal singing on well-being, postpartum depression and bonding - a randomised, controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2021; 21:501. [PMID: 34247578 PMCID: PMC8273948 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-021-03933-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postpartum depression is fairly common in new mothers and moreover associated with impaired bonding and poor maternal well-being. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of a mother-infant singing intervention within the first three months after birth on maternal well-being, depressive symptoms and bonding. METHODS 120 women who were recruited at the maternity ward at the University Clinic in Düsseldorf took part in this prospective, randomised-controlled study. Beside the baseline measurement 1-3 days after childbirth, depressive symptoms, maternal well-being and mother-infant bonding were evaluated with questionnaires before (two weeks after birth) and after (twelve weeks after birth) the intervention took place. The experimental group (n = 59) participated in several singing intervention sessions while the control group (n = 61) did not. In the intervention group, salivary cortisol as well as attachment and mood were assessed immediately before and after the singing sessions. RESULTS The participants of the intervention group showed a significant reduction of cortisol (p = .023) and an improvement of attachment and mood from start to end of the intervention session (all p ≤ .008). However, no prolonged effects were revealed beyond the intervention sessions as the two groups did not differ regarding the alterations of the primary outcomes postpartum depression (interaction effect p = .187) and postpartum bonding (interaction effect p = .188) in the 10-week period from two up to twelve weeks after childbirth (all p > .05). Additional analyses of singing habits at home in both groups, revealed that only in the singing group more frequent singing was associated with less anxiety and more well-being of the mother. CONCLUSION Singing towards the infant seems to have positive immediate effects on the well-being of new mothers (on subjective variables as well as physiological measurements). However, the intervention did not lead to more long lasting positive effects although several limitations should be considered. TRIAL REGISTRATION DRKS00015178 (registered at the German Clinical Trial Registry), date of registration: 09.11.2018.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Verena Wulff
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldor, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Philip Hepp
- Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Clinic, Augsburg, Germany
- University Witten/Herdecke, Landesfrauenklinik, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Tanja Fehm
- Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nora K Schaal
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldor, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kragness HE, Johnson EK, Cirelli LK. The song, not the singer: Infants prefer to listen to familiar songs, regardless of singer identity. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13149. [PMID: 34241934 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Parent's infant-directed vocalizations are highly dynamic and emotive compared to their adult-directed counterparts, and correspondingly, more effectively capture infants' attention. Infant-directed singing is a specific type of vocalization that is common throughout the world. Parents tend to sing a small handful of songs in a stereotyped way, and a number of recent studies have highlighted the significance of familiar songs in young children's social behaviors and evaluations. To date, no studies have examined whether infants' responses to familiar versus unfamiliar songs are modulated by singer identity (i.e., whether the singer is their own parent). In the present study, we investigated 9- to 12-month-old infants' (N = 29) behavioral and electrodermal responses to relatively familiar and unfamiliar songs sung by either their own mother or another infant's mother. Familiar songs recruited more attention and rhythmic movement, and lower electrodermal levels relative to unfamiliar songs. Moreover, these responses were robust regardless of whether the singer was their mother or a stranger, even when the stranger's rendition differed greatly from their mothers' in mean fundamental frequency and tempo. Results indicate that infants' interest in familiar songs is not limited to idiosyncratic characteristics of their parents' song renditions, and points to the potential for song as an effective early signifier of group membership.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haley E Kragness
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth K Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Laura K Cirelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Steinberg S, Shivers CM, Liu T, Cirelli LK, Lense MD. Survey of the Home Music Environment of Children with Various Developmental Profiles. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 75:101296. [PMID: 34737486 PMCID: PMC8562654 DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2021.101296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Families with young children with and without developmental disabilities often create a musically rich home environment. Parent-child music engagement, like singing play songs, is associated with positive outcomes for children, parents, and their relationship. However, little is known about if the home music environment differs across diagnostic groups and if parent-child music engagement relates to parent-child affective attachment across families of diagnostically diverse children. Using an online questionnaire, the current study examined the home music environment of 340 families with young children with typical and atypical development. A variety of musical activities were common in all diagnostic groups. Diagnostic groups differed in active musical engagement, potentially relating to the differing phenotypes of various developmental disabilities. Parent-child music engagement was associated with parent-child affective attachment, even when controlling for relevant variables. Promoting musical engagement at home and through parent-child therapy may be an accessible way to support parent-child relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Selena Steinberg
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA
| | - Carolyn M Shivers
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 295 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Talia Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21 Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
| | - Laura K Cirelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Miriam D Lense
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21 Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Palazzi A, Filippa M, Meschini R, Piccinini CA. Music therapy enhances preterm infant's signs of engagement and sustains maternal singing in the NICU. Infant Behav Dev 2021; 64:101596. [PMID: 34118653 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Hospitalized preterm infants are exposed to stressful stimuli and early parental separation, which can undermine their long-term development and mother-infant bonding. Family-centered music therapy can enable positive mother-infant interactions, mediated by maternal infant-directed singing. This study aimed to investigate the effects of music therapy on preterm infant's signs of engagement, namely Eye Opening (EO) and Smiling (SM), and maternal vocalizations. Participants were 30 mother-preterm infant dyads in a Brazilian Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), divided into a Music Therapy Group (MTG) and a Comparison Group (CG). The MTG participated in 6 sessions of the Music Therapy Intervention for the Mother-Preterm Infant Dyad (MUSIP), with the aim of supporting maternal singing with the infant. Prior to discharge, all mothers were filmed during a Non-singing (NS) and Singing (S) interactional condition; in the S condition, mothers were explicitly asked to address their infants by singing. Results of video and audio analysis showed that infants in the MTG displayed greater Eye Opening (EO) frequency compared to CG, but only when they were in an initial awake state at test, suggesting that music therapy can potentialize infants' alertness, by increasing their disposition and chances of being engaged in the interaction with the mother. Non-religious mothers appeared to sing significantly more in the MTG than in the CG. These preliminary findings indicate that music therapy in the NICU could promote infant's signs of engagement during interactions and can sustain maternal singing, especially with non-religious mothers in Brazil.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Palazzi
- Psychology Institute, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
| | - M Filippa
- Department of Psychology and University Hospital, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Social Sciences, University of Valle d'Aosta, Italy
| | - R Meschini
- S. Stefano Rehabilitation Institute, P. P. Picena, MC, Italy
| | - C A Piccinini
- Psychology Institute, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Steinberg S, Liu T, Lense MD. Musical Engagement and Parent-Child Attachment in Families With Young Children During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Front Psychol 2021; 12:641733. [PMID: 33828508 PMCID: PMC8019693 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of families in the United States and across the world, impacting parent mental health and stress, and in turn, the parent-child relationship. Music is a common parent-child activity and has been found to positively impact relationships, but little is known about music's role in parent-child interactions during a pandemic. The current study utilized an online questionnaire to assess the use of music in the home of young children and their parents in the United States and Canada during Covid-19 and its relationship with parents' affective attachment with their child. Musical activity was high for both parents and children. Parents reported using music for both emotion regulation and to socially connect with their children. Parent-child musical engagement was associated with parent-child attachment, controlling for relevant parent variables including parent distress, efficacy, education, and parent-child engagement in non-musical activities. These results indicate that music may be an effective tool for building and maintaining parent-child relationships during a period of uncertainty and change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Selena Steinberg
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Talia Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Miriam D. Lense
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Oakes LM, DeBolt MC, Beckner AG, Voss AT, Cantrell LM. Infant Eye Gaze While Viewing Dynamic Faces. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11020231. [PMID: 33673342 PMCID: PMC7918747 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Research using eye tracking methods has revealed that when viewing faces, between 6 to 10 months of age, infants begin to shift visual attention from the eye region to the mouth region. Moreover, this shift varies with stimulus characteristics and infants’ experience with faces and languages. The current study examined the eye movements of a racially diverse sample of 98 infants between 7.5 and 10.5 months of age as they viewed movies of White and Asian American women reciting a nursery rhyme (the auditory component of the movies was replaced with music to eliminate the influence of the speech on infants’ looking behavior). Using an analytic approach inspired by the multiverse analysis approach, several measures from infants’ eye gaze were examined to identify patterns that were robust across different analyses. Although in general infants preferred the lower regions of the faces, i.e., the region containing the mouth, this preference depended on the stimulus characteristics and was stronger for infants whose typical experience included faces of more races and for infants who were exposed to multiple languages. These results show how we can leverage the richness of eye tracking data with infants to add to our understanding of the factors that influence infants’ visual exploration of faces.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Oakes
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (M.C.D); (A.G.B.)
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA 95618, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Michaela C. DeBolt
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (M.C.D); (A.G.B.)
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA 95618, USA;
| | - Aaron G. Beckner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (M.C.D); (A.G.B.)
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA 95618, USA;
| | - Annika T. Voss
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA 95618, USA;
| | - Lisa M. Cantrell
- Department of Child and Adolescent Development, California State University, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Falk S, Fasolo M, Genovese G, Romero‐Lauro L, Franco F. Sing for me, Mama! Infants' discrimination of novel vowels in song. INFANCY 2021; 26:248-270. [DOI: 10.1111/infa.12387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Falk
- Department of Linguistics and Translation University of Montreal, Montreal Quebec Canada
- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS) University of Montreal, Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Mirco Fasolo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti‐Pescara Chieti Italy
| | | | - Leonor Romero‐Lauro
- Department of Psychology University of Milan‐Bicocca Milano Italy
- Neuromi Milan Center for Neuroscience Milano Italy
| | - Fabia Franco
- Department of Psychology Faculty of Science and Technology Middlesex University London London UK
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Boorom O, Muñoz V, Xin R, Watson M, Lense M. Parental Responsiveness During Musical and Non-Musical Engagement in Preschoolers with ASD. RESEARCH IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS 2020; 78:101641. [PMID: 33072181 PMCID: PMC7561024 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parent-child play interactions offer an important avenue for supporting social development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Musical play is a natural and ubiquitous form of parent-child play. As a familiar, reinforcing, and predictable activity, musical play may support parent-child interactions by scaffolding children's attention to the play activities, while also providing parents with a familiar and accessible context to promote parental responsiveness. However, musical play may also impede interactions due to its sensory and repetitive components. METHOD 12 parent-child dyads of preschoolers with ASD were video-recorded during a ten-minute play session that included musical and non-musical toys. Interactions were coded for parent and child musical engagement, as well as parental responsiveness. RESULTS Parent-child dyads varied in their amount of musical engagement during play, which was not related to children's language level. Overall, parents showed similar levels of responsiveness to children's play across musical and non-musical activities, but type of parental responsiveness differed depending on the play context. Parents provided significantly more physical play responses and significantly fewer verbal responses during musical vs. non-musical engagement with their child. CONCLUSIONS There are substantial individual differences in children with ASD's musical engagement during a parent-child free play. Children's musical engagement impacted type of parental responsiveness, which may relate to the familiarity, accessibility, and sensory nature of musical play/toys. Results suggest that musical play/toys can both support and hinder different types of parental responsiveness with implications for incorporation of musical activities into interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Boorom
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Valerie Muñoz
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Rongyu Xin
- Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Meredith Watson
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Miriam Lense
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Schaal NK, Politimou N, Franco F, Stewart L, Müllensiefen D. The German Music@Home: Validation of a questionnaire measuring at home musical exposure and interaction of young children. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235923. [PMID: 32776926 PMCID: PMC7416926 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study introduces the German version of the original version of the Music@Home questionnaire developed in the UK, which systematically evaluates musical engagement in the home environment of young children. Two versions are available, an Infant version for children aged three to 23 months and a Preschool version for children aged two to five and a half years. For the present study, the original Music@Home questionnaire was translated from English into German and 656 caregivers completed the questionnaire online. A confirmatory factor analysis showed moderate to high fit indices for both versions, confirming the factor structure of the original questionnaire. Also, the reliability coefficients for the subscales (Parental beliefs, Child engagement with music, Parent initiation of singing, Parent initiation of music-making for the Infant version and Parental beliefs, Child engagement with music, Parent initiation of music behavior and Breadth of musical exposure for the Preschool version) ranged from moderate to high fits. Furthermore, the test-retest analysis (N = 392) revealed high correlations for the general factor and all subscales confirming their internal reliability. Additionally, we included language questionnaires for children of two and three years of age. Results showed that higher scores on the Music@Home questionnaire were moderately associated with better language skills in two-year-olds (N = 118). In sum, the study presents the validated German Music@Home questionnaire, which shows good psychometric properties. The two versions of the questionnaire are available for use in order to assess home musical engagement of young children, which could be of interest in many areas of developmental research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nora K. Schaal
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Nina Politimou
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fabia Franco
- Department of Psychology, Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren Stewart
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Müllensiefen
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, United Kingdom
- University of Music, Drama and Media, Hanover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Palazzi A, Meschini R, Dal Magro Medeiros M, Piccinini CA. NICU music therapy and mother-preterm infant synchrony: A longitudinal case study in the South of Brazil. NORDIC JOURNAL OF MUSIC THERAPY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/08098131.2020.1752777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ambra Palazzi
- Psychology Institute, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rita Meschini
- S. Stefano Rehabilitation Institute, P. P, Picenza, Italy
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Punamäki R, Vänskä M, Quota SR, Perko K, Diab SY. Vocal emotion expressions in infant‐directed singing: The impact of war trauma and maternal mental health and the consequences on infant development. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mervi Vänskä
- Faculty of Social Sciences, PsychologyTampere University Tampere Finland
| | - Samir R. Quota
- Department of Education and Psychology, Islamic University of Gaza, IUG Gaza Palestine
- School of Social and Humanitarian StudiesDoha Institute for Graduate Students Doha Qatar
| | - Kaisa Perko
- Faculty of Social Sciences, PsychologyTampere University Tampere Finland
| | - Safwat Y. Diab
- Faculty of Social Sciences, PsychologyTampere University Tampere Finland
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Snijders TM, Benders T, Fikkert P. Infants Segment Words from Songs-An EEG Study. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E39. [PMID: 31936586 PMCID: PMC7017257 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 12/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Children's songs are omnipresent and highly attractive stimuli in infants' input. Previous work suggests that infants process linguistic-phonetic information from simplified sung melodies. The present study investigated whether infants learn words from ecologically valid children's songs. Testing 40 Dutch-learning 10-month-olds in a familiarization-then-test electroencephalography (EEG) paradigm, this study asked whether infants can segment repeated target words embedded in songs during familiarization and subsequently recognize those words in continuous speech in the test phase. To replicate previous speech work and compare segmentation across modalities, infants participated in both song and speech sessions. Results showed a positive event-related potential (ERP) familiarity effect to the final compared to the first target occurrences during both song and speech familiarization. No evidence was found for word recognition in the test phase following either song or speech. Comparisons across the stimuli of the present and a comparable previous study suggested that acoustic prominence and speech rate may have contributed to the polarity of the ERP familiarity effect and its absence in the test phase. Overall, the present study provides evidence that 10-month-old infants can segment words embedded in songs, and it raises questions about the acoustic and other factors that enable or hinder infant word segmentation from songs and speech.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tineke M. Snijders
- Language Development Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6500 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6500 Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Titia Benders
- Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University, North Ryde 2109, Australia
| | - Paula Fikkert
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6500 Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
- Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University, 6500 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Markova G, Nguyen T, Schätz C, de Eccher M. Singing in Tune Being in Tune: Relationship Between Maternal Playful Singing and Interpersonal Synchrony. ENFANCE 2020. [DOI: 10.3917/enf2.201.0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
|
26
|
Lense MD, Camarata S. PRESS-Play: Musical Engagement as a Motivating Platform for Social Interaction and Social Play in Young Children with ASD. MUSIC & SCIENCE 2020; 3:10.1177/2059204320933080. [PMID: 32832103 PMCID: PMC7440205 DOI: 10.1177/2059204320933080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Musical experiences are ubiquitous in early childhood. Beyond potential benefits of musical activities for young children with typical development, there has long been interest in harnessing music for therapeutic purposes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there is debate as to the effectiveness of these approaches and thus a need to identify mechanisms of change (or active ingredients) by which musical experiences may impact social development in young children with ASD. In this review, we introduce the PRESS-Play framework, which conceptualizes musical activities for young children with ASD within an applied behavior analysis framework consistent with the principles of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Specifically, the PRESS-Play framework proposes that musical activities support key elements of evidence-based approaches for social engagement including predictability, reinforcement, emotion regulation, shared attention, and social play context, providing a platform for delivery and receipt of social and behavioral instruction via a transactional, developmental approach. PRESS-Play considers that these factors may impact not only the child with ASD but also their interaction partner, such as a parent or peer, creating contexts conducive for validated social engagement and interaction. These principles point to focused theories of change within a clinical-translational framework in order to experimentally test components of social-musical engagement and conduct rigorous, evidence-based intervention studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam D. Lense
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Stephen Camarata
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
|
28
|
Libster MM. Gentle remedies: Restoring faith in the first step of nonpharmacological infant mental health care for the prevention and treatment of "disruptive behavior". Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2019; 33:299-306. [PMID: 31227083 DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2019.02.004] [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: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Parents and healthcare providers are reported to be "desperate" for solutions for dealing with temper tantrums and other extreme "disruptive behaviors." Reports state that at least 10,000 and as many as 20,000 infants under the age of two in 2014 were prescribed drugs such as risperidone, quetiapine, and other antipsychotic medications, suggesting that parents may have lost faith in their inner abilities to create an environment for their infant. Dr. Maria Montessori, concluded from her work that the nervous troubles of many "difficult" children can be traced to one of the most "harmful forms of repressive action" an adult can take, that of "interference" with or interrupting a child's self-chosen activity. This paper explores alternatives to adult interruption that begins with shushing crying infants and may extend to demanding medications with the intention of stopping behaviors. It discusses a tiered infant mental health care system in which conservative care, the first tier or step can be restored with nonpharmacological gentle remedies. Gentle remedies are neither better than nor are they a replacement for pharmaceutical drugs, the fourth and last step of the tiered system due to their known short term and potential long-term risks. The gentle remedies first step approach begins with parents engaging in environment and lifestyle management. Examples of other gentle remedies discussed for use in helping infants to discharge stress and frustration include lullabies, hot water bottles, infant massage education, oatmeal baths and other herbal simples, and Bach Flower Remedies.
Collapse
|
29
|
Cirelli LK, Jurewicz ZB, Trehub SE. Effects of Maternal Singing Style on Mother-Infant Arousal and Behavior. J Cogn Neurosci 2019; 32:1213-1220. [PMID: 30912725 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Mothers around the world sing to infants, presumably to regulate their mood and arousal. Lullabies and playsongs differ stylistically and have distinctive goals. Mothers sing lullabies to soothe and calm infants and playsongs to engage and excite infants. In this study, mothers repeatedly sang Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star to their infants (n = 30 dyads), alternating between soothing and playful renditions. Infant attention and mother-infant arousal (i.e., skin conductivity) were recorded continuously. During soothing renditions, mother and infant arousal decreased below initial levels as the singing progressed. During playful renditions, maternal and infant arousal remained stable. Moreover, infants exhibited greater attention to mother during playful renditions than during soothing renditions. Mothers' playful renditions were faster, higher in pitch, louder, and characterized by greater pulse clarity than their soothing renditions. Mothers also produced more energetic rhythmic movements during their playful renditions. These findings highlight the contrastive nature and consequences of lullabies and playsongs.
Collapse
|
30
|
Brisola EBV, Cury VE. INVESTIGATING EXPERIENCE OF MOTHERS SINGING TO THEIR INFANTS: IN SEARCH OF MEANINGS. PSICOLOGIA EM ESTUDO 2018. [DOI: 10.4025/psicolestud.v23i0.36197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Singing to infants has been a part of mothers’ lives across the ages and in different cultures. The study of mothers singing to infants tends to focus on how and why songs facilitate mother-infant communication, identifying its effects and benefits for mother and infant. Little is known, however, about the mothers’ subjective lived experience of singing. The present phenomenological study aims to contribute to this body of knowledge through a psychological comprehension, in search of meanings, through a Humanistic lens. Thirteen individual dialogical encounters were conducted with Brazilian and American fist-time mothers with infants up to 18 months old. Comprehensive narratives based on those individual encounters were written and analyzed by the researcher, and a synthesis narrative was built revealing the structural elements of the experience of singing for mothers. The significant elements that emerged were: singing as a specific way of communicating with the child, allowing the establishment of an emotional bond, a way for the mothers to better know their infant, a means of recognizing themselves in the condition of being mothers, an interesting form of sharing personal values and family customs, and a creative form of expressing themselves. All these meanings enable the development of the mothers’ potential personal growth. This article also presents a brief discussion of these results in the context of contemporary psychological scientific data and suggests further research paths.
Collapse
|
31
|
Trehub SE, Cirelli LK. Precursors to the performing arts in infancy and early childhood. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2018; 237:225-242. [PMID: 29779736 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Across cultures, aspects of music and dance contribute to everyday life in a variety of ways that do not depend on artistry, aesthetics, or expertise. In this chapter, we focus on precursors to music and dance that are evident in infancy: the underlying perceptual abilities, parent-infant musical interactions that are motivated by nonmusical goals, the consequences of such interactions for mood regulation and social regulation, and the emergence of rudimentary singing and rhythmic movement to music. These precursors to music and dance lay the groundwork for our informal engagement with music throughout life and its continuing effects on mood regulation, affiliation, and well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra E Trehub
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
| | - Laura K Cirelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Politimou N, Stewart L, Müllensiefen D, Franco F. Music@Home: A novel instrument to assess the home musical environment in the early years. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193819. [PMID: 29641607 PMCID: PMC5894980 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of children under the age of 5 appear to show spontaneous enjoyment of singing, being exposed to music and interacting with musical instruments, but whether variations in engaging in such activities in the home could contribute to developmental outcomes is still largely unknown. Critically, researchers lack a comprehensive instrument with good psychometric properties to assess the home musical environment from infancy to the preschool years. To address this gap, this paper presents two studies that describe the development and validation of the Music@Home questionnaire, which comprises two versions: Infant and Preschool. In Study 1, an initial pool of items was generated and administered to a wide audience of parents (n = 287 for the Infant, n = 347 for the Preschool version). Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify different dimensions comprising the home musical environment of both infants and pre-schoolers, and to reduce the initial pool of items to a smaller number of meaningful items. In Study 2, convergent and divergent validity and internal and test-retest reliability of the new instrument were established, using data from a different sample of participants (n = 213 for the Infant, n = 213 for the Preschool version). The second study also investigated associations between the Music@Home and musical characteristics of the parents, such as their musical education and personal engagement with music. Overall, the Music@Home constitutes a novel, valid and reliable instrument that allows for the systematic assessment of distinct aspects of the home musical environment in families with children under the age of 5. Furthermore, the Infant and Preschool versions of the Music@Home present differential associations with musical characteristics of the parents opening a new area of inquiry into how musical exposure and interaction in the home may vary across different developmental stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nina Politimou
- Department of Psychology, Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Lauren Stewart
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Müllensiefen
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fabia Franco
- Department of Psychology, Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Affiliation(s)
- Mariève Corbeil
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS); Center for Research on Brain, Music and Language (CRBML); Université de Montréal
| | | | - Isabelle Peretz
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS); Center for Research on Brain, Music and Language (CRBML); Université de Montréal
| |
Collapse
|