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Alexander BesantJuly 18, 2012 16:02
Infant speech recognition more advanced than once thought, say researchers
Researchers at New York University found that infants as early as nine months old were able to distinguish between speech and non-speech in humans and animals.
Researchers at New York University found that infants as early as nine months old were able to distinguish between speech and non-speech in humans and animals.
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A new study found that infants had more advanced speech recognition than once thought. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)
Infants have better speech recognition than previously thought, says a new study.
Researchers at New York University found that infants as early as nine months old were able to distinguish between speech and non-speech in humans and animals.
"Our results show that infant speech perception is resilient and flexible," said lead author Athena Vouloumanos, an assistant professor at NYU, in a statement.
"This means that our recognition of speech is more refined at an earlier age than we'd thought."
Medical Xpress reported that the study looked at infants of about nine months old and their responses to human and parrot sounds as well as whistles, squawks and chirps.
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Because the children could not communicate what they understood, researchers paired sounds with visuals: an adult female face, a checkerboard and a cup.
Recognition was gauged by how long the infant stared at the image.
The study found that when human speech was heard, the infant stared for longer at the images, suggesting that they recognized the difference in sound.
Between the human and the parrot, the infants had a little more trouble.
Interestingly, the study used the parrot “Alex,” who is able to talk and reason like a person, said Science Daily.
The study was published in the journal Developmental Psychology.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/science/120718/infant-speech-recognition-more-advanced-once-thought-say-researchers
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