Infants’ understanding of communicative interactions, Alia martin

Infants’ understanding of communicative interactions

Talk at Kyoto Institute of Technology July 11, 2015

Alia Martin Harvard University

Lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (2016)

“cup!”

“cup!”

1.  Recognizing a communicative signal

2.  Resolving communicative ambiguity

3.  Prioritizing a communicator’s intentions

Outline

1.  Recognizing a communicative signal

2.  Resolving communicative ambiguity

3.  Prioritizing a communicator’s intentions

Talk Outline

Can infants recognize a communicative signal?

“cup!”

“cup!”

*cough*

*cough*

?  

“cup!”

“cup!” koppu!  

“cup!”

tasse!   becher!  

taza!  katora!  koppu!  

Do infants recognize that speech is communicative?

Infant attention to speech

•  Infants prefer speech to other sounds (Vouloumanos & Werker, 2004; 2007; Shultz & Vouloumanos, 2010)

•  6-month-olds recognize speech is human-produced and human-directed (Vouloumanos et al., 2009; Legerstee et al., 2000)

•  10-month-olds expect mutual gaze between speakers (Beier & Spelke, 2011)

Infant attention to speech

•  Newborns prefer speech to other sounds (Vouloumanos & Werker, 2004; 2007; Shultz & Vouloumanos, 2010)

•  6-month-olds recognize speech is

human-produced and human-directed (Vouloumanos et al., 2009; Legerstee et al., 2000)

•  Newborns prefer speech to other sounds (Vouloumanos & Werker, 2004; 2007; Shultz & Vouloumanos, 2010)

•  6-month-olds recognize speech is

human-produced and human-directed (Vouloumanos et al., 2009; Legerstee et al., 2000)

Infant attention to speech

Do infants recognize that speech is communicative?

Do infants recognize that speech is communicative?

12-month-olds

Procedure

Procedure

Communicator Addressee

Procedure

Communicator Addressee

Communicator Familiarization

Addressee Familiarization

Test

Test

Speech “Koba!”  

Cough *cough*  

Target Non-target

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Speech Cough Recipient Speech

Loo

king

Tim

e (

s)

Target

Non-target

Results

*

*

Martin, Onishi, & Vouloumanos, 2012

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Speech Cough Recipient Speech

Loo

king

Tim

e (

s)

Target

Non-target

Results

*

*

Martin, Onishi, & Vouloumanos, 2012

Interim summary

•  12-month-olds recognize that speech can transfer information about an object, but coughing cannot

Interim summary

•  12-month-olds recognize that speech can transfer information about an object, but coughing cannot – even though infants themselves always

have information about the target

Interim summary

•  12-month-olds recognize that speech can transfer information about an object, but coughing cannot – even though infants themselves always

have information about the target

•  Communication, or mere presence of speech?

Communicator Familiarization

Addressee Familiarization

Test “koba!”

Test

Target Non-target

“koba!”

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Speech Cough Recipient Speech

Loo

king

Tim

e (

s)

Target

Non-target

Results

Martin, Onishi, & Vouloumanos, 2012

*

* *

Addressee Speech

Do 6-month-old infants recognize that speech is

communicative?

•  understand some common words used in their environment (Bergelson & Swingley, 2012; Tincoff & Jusczyk, 1999; 2012)

•  no evidence for learning a word in a single trial

6-month-olds…

6-month-olds…

•  understand some common words used in their environment (Bergelson & Swingley, 2012; Tincoff & Jusczyk, 1999; 2012)

•  no evidence for learning a word in a single trial

“****”  

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Speech Cough Cough + Visual Access

Loo

king

Tim

e (

s)

Target

Non-Target

*

Results: 6-month-olds

Vouloumanos, Martin, & Onishi, 2014

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Speech Cough Cough + Visual Access

Loo

king

Tim

e (

s)

Target

Non-Target

Results: 6-month-olds

*

*

Vouloumanos, Martin, & Onishi, 2014

Information transfer

Target Non-target

“****”  

Communicator Familiarization Addressee Visual Access

Addressee Familiarization

Test *cough*

Target Non-target

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Speech Cough Cough + Visual Access

Loo

king

Tim

e (

s)

Target

Non-Target

Results: 6-month-olds

*

*

Vouloumanos, Martin, & Onishi, 2014

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Speech Cough Cough + Visual Access

Loo

king

Tim

e (

s)

Target

Non-Target

*

* *

*

Results: 6-month-olds

Vouloumanos, Martin, & Onishi, 2014

Discussion

•  6- and 12-month-old infants recognize that the form of speech is communicative –  transfers information from one person to

another

Discussion

•  6- and 12-month-old infants recognize that the form of speech is communicative –  transfers information from one person to

another

•  May provide a mechanism for language and knowledge acquisition

THANKS! Collaborators

Athena Vouloumanos

Kris Onishi