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YOUNG CHILDREN'S RESPONSES TO DISCREPANT SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS *
Author(s) -
Volkmar Fred R.,
Siegel Alberta E.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1979.tb00494.x
Subject(s) - psychology , gesture , facial expression , nonverbal communication , developmental psychology , audiology , communication , linguistics , medicine , philosophy
SUMMARY Forty children, ages 12–42 months, were observed with their mothers while E gave four successive messages to them. Two of these communications were congruent across the visual and auditory channels; the other two were discrepant. Order of trials was systematically varied across subjects. Children approached E readily when his invitation to approach was either visual or auditory. Children were warier when an invitation to approach was contradicted by a simultaneous “stay away” message. Most aversive was a warm facial expression, beckoning gestures and affirmative head nods paired with the words “stay away” spoken with a cold lone.