The Role of Attentional Biases for Conspecific Vocalizations

Ference, Jennifer Diana

The Role of Attentional Biases for Conspecific Vocalizations

dc.contributor.advisor	Curtin, Suzanne
dc.contributor.author	Ference, Jennifer Diana
dc.contributor.committeemember	Vouloumanos, Athena
dc.contributor.committeemember	Graham, Susan A.
dc.date	2018-06
dc.date.accessioned	2018-05-03T13:44:28Z
dc.date.available	2018-05-03T13:44:28Z
dc.date.issued	2018-04-30
dc.description.abstract	A bias for speech over non-speech emerges at birth in typically developing (TD) infants and a preference for vocalizations generated from one’s own species (conspecific) emerges by 3 months. These biases and preferences may direct infants to relevant communicative information in their language learning environments, possibly predicting positive linguistic and social development. The first series of studies explored whether a bias for speech (over non-speech) at 6 and 9 months was predictive of language and social behaviors at 12 months. Whether a preference for conspecific vocalizations (over monkey calls) at 9 months was predictive of these same outcomes was also examined. Infants were biased toward speech over non-speech at 6 and 9 months, but preferred monkey calls over speech at 9 months. However, these listening patterns did not predict language or social developmental outcomes. Understanding these patterns of attention and how experimental procedures may influence preferences is important for advancing our understanding of the relationship between attention to speech and early development. The second series of studies reports findings from high-risk (HR) infant siblings of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who participated in these same experiments. HR infants are known to have heterogeneous outcomes by age 3, with about half developing typically, while others present with atypical outcomes, including ASD. Given the hypothesized importance of attention to speech on later development, we explored whether HR infants as a group selectively attended to speech and whether such attention was predictive of early language and social behaviors. HR infants were biased toward speech at 6 months; however, by 9 months, they did not differentially attend to speech over non-speech or monkey calls overall. Despite this, increased attention to speech at 9 months predicted better language and fewer autism-like behaviors at 12 months. Therefore, increased attention to conspecifics may indicate typical outcomes for HR infants. Future directions include following both groups of infants to 3 years of age to explore whether selective attention to speech during the first year is predictive of much later developmental outcomes and/or diagnostic status.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Ference, J. D. (2018). The role of attentional biases for conspecific vocalizations (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/31878	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/31878
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/106592
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.publisher.faculty	Arts
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.publisher.place	Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	speech perception
dc.subject	attention
dc.subject	infant development
dc.subject	Autism
dc.subject	conspecifics
dc.subject.classification	Linguistics	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Psychology--Clinical	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Psychology--Cognitive	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Psychology--Developmental	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Psychology--Experimental	en_US
dc.title	The Role of Attentional Biases for Conspecific Vocalizations
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Clinical Psychology
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true