Title
Mothers' singing to infants and preschool children
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
January 1999
Publication Title
Infant Behavior and Development
First Page
51
Last Page
64
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0163-6383(99)80005-8
Abstract
Mothers were recorded singing two versions of the same song, one to their infants and the other to their preschool children. In Experiment 1, naive adult listeners accurately identified the infant-directed versions from each pair of mothers' songs. Pitch was higher for the infant-directed versions but tempo and intensity did not differ across contexts. In Experiment 2, naive listeners judged which version of each pair sounded more “loving” and which had clearer enunciation of lyrics. The versions sung to preschoolers were rated as more clearly enunciated than those sung to infants. Although there were no differences in “loving” tone of voice, “loving” ratings of infant-directed versions predicted identification accuracy.
Recommended Citation
Bergeson, T. R., & Trehub, S. E. (1999). Mothers' singing to infants and preschool children. Infant Behavior and Development, 22, 51-64.
