Vocalizations of infants (9—11 months old) in response to musical and linguistic stimuli

Abstract

This study analyzes infant vocal responses in order to determine whether infants exposed to both linguistic and musical stimuli exhibit different types of vocalizations in response to those two different kinds of stimulation. Twenty-one infants, from 9 to 11 months of age, were observed in four weekly sessions over the period of a month. Each session consisted of two presentations: musical, in which the experimenter sang, and linguistic, in which the experimenter narrated poems. Infants’ vocalizations were recorded and submitted to aural and acoustic analysis. The results showed that infants’ vocalizations in response to both presentations displayed different characteristics of duration and vocal extension. Infant vocalizations in response to musical stimuli consisted predominantly of isolated sounds, with a high percentage of first and third steps of the scale of the musical stimuli as well as a predominance of melodic intervals and contours outlining important scalar steps of the stimuli. Descending intervals were also a characteristic of infant vocal production in response to musical stimuli.

Vocalisation chez les enfants (9—11 mois d’âge) en réponse aux stimuli musicaux et linguistiques

La présente étude analyse les réponses vocales enfantine afin de déterminer si les enfants exposés aux stimuli linguistiques et musicaux exhibent types différentes de vocalisation en réponse à ces deux différentes sortes de stimulus. 21 enfants, de l’âge du 9 à 11 mois, ont été observées quatre fois par semaine pendant un mois. Chaque session a été composée de deux présentations: une musicale, dans laquelle le chercheur chantait, et l’autre linguistique, où le chercheur récitait des poèmes. Les vocalisations des enfants ont été enregistrées et soumis à l’analyse auditive et acoustique. Les résultats ont montré que les vocalisations des enfants en réponse aux deux sortes de stimulus portent différentes caracteristiques de durée et d’extension vocale. Vocalisations chez les enfants en réponse aux stimuli musicaux consistent principalement de sons isolés, avec une haute percentage des premier et troisième degrés de l’échelle du stimulus musical, ainsi que la prédominance des intervalles mélodiques et des contours soulignant les plus importantes dégres du stimulus. Des intervales descendants ont été aussi une caracteristique de la production vocale de l’enfant en repónse aux stimuli musicaux.

Vokalisationen von Säuglingen (Alter 9—11 Monate) als Reaktion auf musikalische und linguistische Stimuli

Diese Studie analysiert vokale Erwiderungen von Säuglingen, mit dem Ziel festzustellen, ob Säuglinge die sowohl linguistischen als auch musikalischen Stimuli ausgesetzt sind verschiedene Weisen der vokalen Reaktion auf die jeweiligen Arten der Stimuli zeigen. Einundzwanzig Säuglinge im Alter von neun bis elf Monaten wurden über einen Zeitraum von einem Monat in insgesamt vier wöchentlichen Sitzungen beobachtet. Jede Sitzung bestand aus zwei Präsentationen: Einer musikalischen, in welcher der Experimentator sang und einer lingusitschen, in welcher dieser Gedichte erzählte. Die Vokalisationen der Säuglinge wurden aufgenommen und einer oralen und akustischen Analyse unterzogen. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die Vokalisationen der Säuglinge in Reaktion auf musikalische Stimuli hautsächlich aus isolierten Klängen bestanden. Zu beobachten war sowohl eine hohe Zahl an ersten und dritten Stufen der dem musikalischen Stimulus zu Grunde liegenden Tonleiter, wie auch eine Dominanz von melodischen Intervallen und Konturen, welche die wichtigen Tonleiterschritte des musikalischen Stimulus umrissen. Auch absteigende Intervalle waren ein Charakteristikum des vokalen Ausdrucks der Säuglinge in Reaktion auf musikalische Stimuli.

Vocalizaciones Infantiles (de 9 a 11 meses) en respuesta a estímulos lingüísticos y musicales

Este estudio analiza las respuestas vocales infantiles a fin de determinar si los niños expuestos a estímulos musicales y lingüísticos muestran diferentes tipos de vocalizaciones en respuesta a esos diferentes tipos de estimulación. Se observaron a 21 bebés de entre 9 y 11 meses a razón de cuatro sesiones semanales durante un mes. Cada sesión constó de dos presentaciones: musical, en la que el experimentador cantó; y lingüística, en la que narró poemas. La vocalización de los niños se grabó y remitió para su posterior análisis acústico y fonético. Los resultados mostraron que las vocalizaciones de los bebés en respuesta a ambas presentaciones tenían diferentes características de duración y extensión vocal. Las vocalizaciones en respuesta a los estímulos musicales básicamente consistieron en sonidos aislados, con un alto porcentaje de primeros y terceros grados de la escala de estímulos musicales, así como un predominio de intervalos y contornos melódicos que esbozan importantes avances en la escala de estimulación. Los intervalos descendentes son igualmente característicos de la producción vocal infantil en respuesta a los estímulos musicales.

Keywords

infants linguistic stimuli musical stimuli singing vocalizations

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