Listening to language at birth: Evidence for a bias for speech in neonates

Athena Vouloumanos, Janet F. Werker

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

The nature and origin of the human capacity for acquiring language is not yet fully understood. Here we uncover early roots of this capacity by demonstrating that humans are born with a preference for listening to speech. Human neonates adjusted their high amplitude sucking to preferentially listen to speech, compared with complex non-speech analogues that controlled for critical spectral and temporal parameters of speech. These results support the hypothesis that human infants begin language acquisition with a bias for listening to speech. The implications of these results for language and communication development are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)159-164
Number of pages6
JournalDevelopmental science
Volume10
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2007

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

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