The maternal voice as a special signal for infants

Abstract

Mothers throughout the world vocalize to infants in the course of caregiving. This chapter describes (1) mothers’ speech and singing to infants, including differences arising from cultural practices and individual circumstances, and (2) the impact of maternal speech and singing on infants. Vocalizations to infants are more expressive than vocalizations to others, and they are often accompanied by gestures in other modalities. Although infants are sensitive to voices in general, they are particularly sensitive to the expressive style of infant-directed vocalizations and to the familiarity of the maternal voice. Infant-directed vocalizations, whether speech or singing, are effective in capturing infant attention, but infant-directed singing is more effective than infant-directed speech for regulating infant emotion or arousal. The maternal voice seems to function as a source of security and stimulation for infants, enhancing mother-infant bonds and promoting infants’ social, emotional, and cognitive development.