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Infant Vocal–Motor Coordination: Precursor to the Gesture–Speech System?
Author(s) -
Iverson Jana M.,
Fagan Mary K.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00725.x
Subject(s) - gesture , rhythm , psychology , coarticulation , motor coordination , audiology , movement (music) , vowel , communication , speech recognition , linguistics , neuroscience , medicine , computer science , acoustics , philosophy , physics
This study was designed to provide a general picture of infant vocal–motor coordination and test predictions generated by Iverson and Thelen's (1999) model of the development of the gesture–speech system. Forty‐seven 6‐ to 9‐month‐old infants were videotaped with a primary caregiver during rattle and toy play. Results indicated an age‐related increase in frequency of vocal–motor coordination, greater coordination with arm (specifically right arm) than leg or torso movements, and a temporal pattern similar to that in adult gesture–speech coproductions. Rhythmic vocalizations (consonant–vowel repetitions) were more likely to occur with than without rhythmic movement, and with rhythmic manual than with nonmanual activity, and the rate of vocal–manual coordination was higher in babblers than in prebabblers.