The Function of Vocalization in Early Parent—Blind Child Interaction

Preisler, Gunilla; Palmer, Christina G.S.

doi:10.1007/978-1-349-08023-6_18

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…This attunement is critical. Without it, as can occur in an interpersonal disorder such as maternal post-natal depression (Beebe and Lachmann, 1994;Bettes, 1988;Murray and Stein, 1989;Murray et al, 1996;Papousek and Papousek, 1997), or sensory and motor disorders of the infant (Burford and Trevarthen, 1997;Fraiberg, 1979;Hauge and Hallan Tensberg, 1996;Preisler and Palmer, 1986;Trevarthen and Burford, 1995), both parties will suffer. Failed attunernent has been demonstrated in perturbation experiments, in which, for example, the mother is asked to keep a still face and to remain silent in front of her infant for one minute.…”

Section: The Methods and The Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mothers and infants and communicative musicality

1999

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Using music as a model, mother/infant vocalisations are examined using computerbased acoustic analysis. Past research is summarised which demonstrates the importance of both parties in the mother-infant dyad. Methods are then introduced for analysing pulse, quality and narrative in mother/infant vocalisations. These three elements comprise "communicative musicality": those attributes of human communication, which are particularly exploited in music, that allow co-ordinated companionship to arise. The analysis of pulse is based on spectrographic analysis, and regular timing intervals are discovered that serve to co-ordinate the mother's and infant's joint vocalisations. Quality consists of both the pitch-contour of the vocalisations, and their timbre. Pitch plots are derived using software developed for this project using a constant Q spectral transform. I examine how the infant and mother structure their joint exploration of pitch space on the small and large scale. Timbre is measured with a variety of acoustic measures -tristimulus values,sharpness, roughness and width. It is found that the mother's voice changes its quality in response to the infant's. Narrative combines pulse and quality -it allows two persons to share a sense of passing time -and the musical companionship is examined that is created between a mother and her baby as she chants a nursery rhyme. It is concluded that communicative musicality is vital for companionable parent/infant communication.

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Section: The Methods and The Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mothers and infants and communicative musicality

1999

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“…In order to study the early development of blind infants with special focus on the development of communication, a longitudinal, descriptive study of early patterns of interaction between blind infants and their mothers was started in 1982 (Preisler & Palmer 1986, Preisler 1988, Preisler & Palmer 1989, Preisler 1990. The purpose is to study the development of communication in blind children from an early age up to 6 years.…”

Section: Longitudinal Study Of Interactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early patterns of interaction between blind infants and their sighted mothers

Preisler

1991

Child

108

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In a longitudinal, descriptive study of blind infant-sighted mother interaction during the age period 3 to 12 months, 10 infants, seven blind and three severely visually impaired, were video-recorded in natural interactional settings with their parents. The objective was to describe which communicative expressions the infants, as well as their mothers use in interaction and how they respond to each others' communications. Detailed analyses of the infants' and mothers' communicative behaviours were carried out. The blind infants exhibited a variety of communicative expressions in interaction with their mothers; they took an active part in proto-conversations and dialogues with their mothers. The blind infants had difficulties in sharing their opinion about objects with their mothers during the age period studied. Comparisons between the blind and the severely visually impaired infants showed that even very low vision improves the infant's opportunities to take part in interpersonal communication and to share meanings. The results are discussed in relation to Trevarthen's view of the infant having an innate motive for intersubjectivity--for communication--and Stern's theory of the development of the self.

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“…In all, nine children have participated in the study. The children are, with one exception, part of a longitudinal study of mother-infant interaction (Preisler 1987, 1991a, Preisler & Palmer 1986, 1987. As the children started to attend pre-school activities, they were studied in this context as well.…”

Section: Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A descriptive study of blind children in nurseries with sighted children

Preisler

1993

Child

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In a longitudinal descriptive and qualitative study, nine blind pre-school children have been observed in natural interactional settings in their nurseries. The objective was to give a detailed description of the blind child's activities and social situation in a group of sighted children. The results showed that the blind child's overall behaviour in the pre-school setting was different when compared with the sighted children's behaviour, as shown in activities like orientation, exploration and play. The blind children seldom participated in sighted children's play and they seldom initiated contact with the other children. The sighted children initially showed an interest in the blind child but as their initiatives were often neglected, they were not encouraged to proceed. The teachers played an important role for the blind children, both as a visual interpreter and as a play-mate. However, many of the teachers had great difficulties in understanding the blind child's way of functioning. Alternative pre-school settings for blind children are discussed.

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The Function of Vocalization in Early Parent—Blind Child Interaction

Cited by 7 publications

References 7 publications

Mothers and infants and communicative musicality

Mothers and infants and communicative musicality

Early patterns of interaction between blind infants and their sighted mothers

A descriptive study of blind children in nurseries with sighted children

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