Emotion regulation in infants using maternal singing and speech

Abstract

The interaction between a mother and her infant has been described as an intricate ‘dance’ involving coordinated singing and movement (Feldman, 2007). It is widely accepted that infant-directed (ID) speech, characterized as having higher pitch, slower tempo, and exaggerated intonation, is an effective means of communicating with infants and holding their attention (Papousek et al., 1985). Singing is another universally observed caregiving behaviour. Mothers across cultures intuitively use infant-directed (ID) singing to regulate their infants’ emotional state (de l’Etoile, 2006; Nakata & Trehub, 2004). While ID speech and singing appear to be equally successful in regulating infants’ attention (Corbeil, et al., 2013), their effects in modulating infants’ distress are less clear. More precisely, while stress and arousal are intimately connected, there is no research to date that has investigated the efficacy of speech and singing in alleviating infant distress. Using a modified version of the Face-to-Face/Still-Face (FFSF) paradigm (Tronick et al., 1978), the current study is the first to examine 10-month-old infants’ behavioural and physiological responses, via Skin Conductance (SC), to their mother’s singing and speaking. Stress was effectively induced in the still-face episode with infants exhibiting typical “still-face” behaviours and elevated SC responses. The results indicated that in the reunion episode, mother’s singing was more effective in decreasing infant’s physiological arousal, regulating negative affect and promoting infants’ visual attention in comparison to maternal speaking. However, the genre of songs selected (e.g., play song or lullaby) might have been contributed to the positive outcomes of singing in regulating infants’ emotions. Therefore, the second study used the same methodology to examine the effects of maternal play songs and lullabies on infants’ physiological and behavioural responses. The results indicated that maternal play songs were more effective in regulating infants’ stress as well as capturing and maintaining their attention than were soothing lullabies. Taken together, the findings indicate that maternal singing, specifically playful performances, supports infants’ emotions and effectively regulates their stress.

Familiar songs reduce infant distress.

“…The present study confirms and extends findings reported in Ghazban’s (2013) doctoral dissertation—greater distress reduction and lower arousal for singing than for speech reunions—but differs in other respects. For example, Ghazban found decreased arousal over the course of her 1.5-min singing reunion but increased arousal for maternal speech.…”

“…There is suggestive evidence that caregivers’ singing is more effective than their speech for regulating the affect and arousal of distressed infants. In a doctoral dissertation that explored this question (Ghazban, 2013), mothers and their 10-month-olds participated in a modified Still Face procedure (Adamson & Frick, 2003; Mesman, van Ijzendoorn, & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2009; Tronick, Als, Adamson, Wise, & Brazelton, 1978) featuring mother–infant interaction, maternal unresponsiveness, and the resumption of interaction dominated by ID speech or singing. ID song was more effective than ID speech at reducing overt negative affect and physiological arousal.…”

“…Because skin conductance (SC) reflects sympathetic nervous system arousal without regard to valence (positive or negative), it must be evaluated in conjunction with behavioral responses. Based on previous research with infants (Corbeil et al, 2016; Costa-Giomi, 2014; Ghazban, 2013; Nakata & Trehub, 2004; Trehub, Plantinga, & Russo, 2016) and on the greater temporal regularity, repetitiveness, and memorability of music relative to speech (Margulis, 2014), we expected multimodal sung performances, familiar and unfamiliar, to be more effective at capturing and maintaining infant attention and more effective at reducing infant distress and arousal than multimodal speech. Because of the social and emotional significance of familiar songs for infants (Cirelli & Trehub, 2018; Mehr et al, 2016, Mehr & Spelke, 2018), the stereotypy of caregivers’ repeated performances (Bergeson & Trehub, 2002), and infants’ enduring memory for songs (Mehr et al, 2016), we expected familiar songs to regulate infant attention, affect, and arousal more effectively than unfamiliar songs.…”

The origins of dance: Characterizing the development of infants’ earliest dance behavior.

“…Many aspects of music perception are early-developing. From the first weeks of life, song powerfully captures infants’ attention and modulates infants’ emotions, more effectively even than speech (Corbeil et al, 2016; Ghazban, 2013; Nakata & Trehub, 2004; Trehub, 2011). Infants also respond differently to songs sung in different styles (e.g., lullaby vs. playsong; Rock et al, 1999), such that songs appear to communicate specific emotional messages even in infancy (Bainbridge et al, 2021; Rock et al, 1999; Trainor et al, 1997; Trehub et al, 1997).…”

“…Many aspects of music perception are early-developing. From the first weeks of life, song powerfully captures infants' attention and modulates infants' emotions, more effectively even than speech (Corbeil et al, 2016;Ghazban, 2013;Nakata & Trehub, 2004;Trehub, 2011).…”