Exploring Newborn Vocalizations: Insights into Perception and Control

Studies have shown that newborn infants can recognize sounds they were exposed to before birth. This study aimed to delve deeper into sound recognition by examining how a newborn's perception may influence their production of sound. The researchers used an approach that involved analyzing and classifying voiced sections of the newborn's cries, followed by an evaluation of prospective control. Based on the General Tau Theory (GTT), which suggests that skilled behaviors are guided by perception, the researchers hypothesized that if the newborn cry is a skilled behavior, there would be evidence of perceptual guidance in their vocalizations. They applied the concept of "guidance" from the GTT to assess the level of perceptual vocal control in newborns. Fifteen Norwegian newborns under one week of age participated in the study. The results of the melodic classification of the cry utterances showed that certain melodic shapes, such as Plateau, Frequency Step, and Complex, were more prevalent among the participants. The analysis of prospective control provided support for the presence of guidance, indicating that the newborn cries exhibited characteristics of skilled behavior. The cry utterances were estimated to be guided with a specific movement pattern. Furthermore, the comparison between participants and melodic classifications revealed that the newborns in the study had individual vocalization characteristics while also sharing common melodic attributes. These findings raise questions about the current approaches used to study infant cries and suggest that the newborn's sound repertoire follows certain trends. In summary, this study sheds light on the vocalizations of newborns, highlighting the connection between perception and control. The results support the idea that newborn cries are not random but rather exhibit characteristics of skilled behavior. The individual vocalization patterns observed among the infants suggest a need for further exploration and understanding of the infant cry phenomenon.

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