Maternal Verbal Control Techniques with Young Infants During Mutual Gaze and Visual Co-Orientation Episodes

Abstract

This study examined periods of mutual gaze and visual co-orientation between mothers and their 2-4 month-old infants as contexts for the utilization of maternal verbal control techniques; additional questions involved the impact of infant sex and maternal sensitivity upon the utilization of these techniques. Mothers and infants were videotaped during two experimental sessions, each of which was designed to enhance the occurrence of either mutual gaze or visual co-orientation. Results indicated that although a similar number of verbal control techniques occurred during mutual gaze and visual co-orientation sequences, visual context did have a significant effect upon the type of verbal control methods employed; in contrast, neither infant sex nor maternal sensitivity significantly influenced the utilization of these methods. These results demonstrate the importance of considering contextual factors when examining language/communication development; in addition, the implications of these findings for infant communication development are discussed.

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