Imitation of Non-Speech Oral Gestures by 8-Month-Old Infants. (March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Diepstra, Heidi; Trehub, Sandra E; Eriks-Brophy, Alice; van Lieshout, Pascal HHM
• Is Part Of: Language and speech. Volume 60:Number 1(2017:Mar.)
• Page Start: 154
• Page End: 166
• Publication Date: 2017-03
• Subjects: Infants -- babbling -- imitation -- oral gestures -- phonology; Language and languages -- Periodicals; Speech -- Periodicals; Language disorders -- Periodicals; Speech disorders -- Periodicals; 401.9
• DOI: 10.1177/0023830916647080
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0023-8309

Abstract

This study investigates the oral gestures of 8-month-old infants in response to audiovisual presentation of lip and tongue smacks. Infants exhibited more lip gestures than tongue gestures following adult lip smacks and more tongue gestures than lip gestures following adult tongue smacks. The findings, which are consistent with predictions from Articulatory Phonology, imply that 8-month-old infants are capable of producing goal-directed oral gestures by matching the articulatory organ of an adult model.