Evidence for ‘motionese’: modifications in mothers’ infant‐directed action

Abstract

We investigated the possibility that mothers modify their infant-directed actions in ways that might assist infants' processing of human action. In a between-subjects design, 51 mothers demonstrated the properties of five novel objects either to their infant (age 6-8 months or 11-13 months) or to an adult partner. As predicted, demonstrations to infants were higher in interactiveness, enthusiasm, proximity to partner, range of motion, repetitiveness and simplicity, indicating that mothers indeed modify their infant-directed actions in ways that likely maintain infants' attention and highlight the structure and meaning of action. The findings demonstrate that 'motherese' is broader in scope than previously recognized, including modifications to action as well as language.

Recipient design in tacit communication

“…In this study, we exploit the naturally occurring communicative adaptations observed when adult communicators direct their speech, gestures, and accompanying motions towards child addressees (Brand, Baldwin, & Ashburn, 2002;Brodsky, Waterfall, & Edelman, 2007;Grieser & Kuhl, 1988;O'Neill et al, 2005;Warren-Leubecker & Bohannon, 1984). To this end, we test whether the mere belief that one is communicating with either a child or an adult addressee is sufficient to induce communicative adaptations in adults.…”

Multimodal Study of Adult-Infant Interaction: A Review of Its Origins and Its Current Status

“…In that framework, Negayama et al (2015) analyzed the intersubjective bodily involvement between adult and infant in daily actions in Scottish and Japanese mothers with their infants between six and nine months of age and found cultural differences in the intersubjective movement keys. In another framework, Brand, Baldwin and Ashburn (2002), Koterba andIverson (2009) andLicata et al (2014) found that, in their interactions with infants over eight months of age, the mothers modify and simplify their movements. These modifications could help the infants to understand human target-oriented action.…”

The Artistic Infant Directed Performance: A Mycroanalysis of the Adult’s Movements and Sounds

“…Our analysis sets on the adult's behavior, instead of spontaneous reactions of the communicating infant. This distinguishes our approach from those used in previous studies (e.g., Brand et al 2002), setting it closer to Miall and Dissanayake's( 2003) pioneer work on the poetics of babytalk. Our research is not about 'motionese'.…”

“…Brand et al (2002), Koterba and Iverson (2009) and Licata et al (2014) analyzed adult movement from the perspective of action to goal, such as grasping an object, finding that, in their interactions with babies 8 months and older, mothers modify their movements. They named this modification and simplification of gestures, actions, or signs that adults use while interacting with infants or toddlers Bmotionese^, noticing it might assist infants in processing human action, specifically to attend to objects and explore around them.…”