from Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research
Baby talk—that is when talking to babies in a
higher pitch and slower speed—likely helps
them learn to understand what we’re saying
and to stimulate their own speech
development. University of Florida’s
Laboratory for the Study of Cognition
conducted the study. Researchers changed
the frequency of sounds to mimic either a
baby or adult’s voice. Babies showed a
distinct preference for a sound similar to their
own voice. While parents are sometimes
discouraged from engaging in baby talk,
researchers show those patterns are priming
them to process their own voice. The study,
appropriately called “Setting the stage for
speech production,” is published in the
Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing
Research.