Baby talk appears more often around human-made objects: Unexpected research results

Have you ever wondered how much objects affect your baby's development?

A new study shows that human-made items make your baby "talk" more.

Let's find out, why.

Unexpected results

Babies are more likely to use "baby talk" when interacting with man-made objects compared to natural ones, according to researchers.

"Baby talk" refers to sounds like squeals, growls, and short word-like noises that serve as the building blocks of language development.

The study, led by the University of Portsmouth, focused on the relationship between these sounds and objects typically found at home.

The researchers observed infants aged 4 to 18 months in Zambia and found that they produced more of these sounds when using toys and household items rather than natural objects like sticks or leaves.

The babies also showed greater interest in household items over natural objects.

Why is that?

The findings suggest that the features of man-made objects may stimulate infants' communication skills more than natural objects, possibly due to their functional purposes and attention-grabbing designs.

The research supports the idea that complex tools in social interactions may have contributed to the development of our human language.

The specialists recommend further exploration of facial changes and object classifications in future studies to deepen understanding of the relationship between objects and baby behavior.
 

• Related news:
• children
• intelligence
• research
• development
• brain
• 1 July 2023

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