Babies as young as 5 months can match sounds to who (or what) created them
Evidence that babies can match different vocal sounds to the right species has been found for the first time. Babies as young as 5 months can tell that humans make speech sounds and monkeys make monkey calls, cries and grunts, reports Science Daily. While children know ducks quack or dogs bark, it wasn’t clear when it was that children knew which animal made what sound.The study looked at 5-month-old babies from English and French speaking familie. They were showed pictures of human faces and monkey faces teamed with human speech that wasn’t in their own language (two Japanese words) or monkey ‘gekker’ calls and coos. The babies look longer at the pictures when the sound matched the right species. However, when it came to sounds like laughter, or “human-produced non-speech vocalisations”, the babies couldn’t match it to humans.
I wondered that at first too, but then i reckon anything that helps us understand human behaviour and how our babies learn is good. I love knowing what's going on in that little head!!
it's crazy (in a good way) that a baby knows a human voice is human even when it's a foreign language, and that human-like moneky sounds are known to be from monkeys.
yer thats a good point!
I just didnt like the headline, Lola could look for me or her dad depending on who spoke at that age, her brother still doesnt listen lol! but i guess as parents we want to think from day one our baby knows exactly who we are!
