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The Communicative and Diagnostic Significance of Infant Sounds

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Infant Crying

Abstract

Our interest in the cry behavior of infancy stems from a general concern with the clinical significance of human sound. Audible sonic events appear to serve a unique function in social communication, facilitating the exchange of information not only in those precise, phonetic forms called speech but also in more ambiguous ways, via emotional expressions, music, and noises. Sounds are known to have alerting as well as sedating properties. They enter into many aspects of interpersonal relationships and seem to play an especially vital role in the regulation of intimacy. Thus, an infant with its fascinating acoustic repertoire and a mother with her special attachment to the tiny soundmaker offer rich opportunities for scientific research. In this chapter, we will invite the readers’ attention to five dimensions of this subject area that are of particular interest to us: (1) the context of infant crying behavior; (2) its patterning in disease and health; (3) factors that influence cry performance; (4) methodological issues; and (5) the communicative function of crying.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94143, USA

    Peter F. Ostwald

  2. Audiology and Speech Pathology Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Diego, California, 92161, USA

    Thomas Murry

Authors
  1. Peter F. Ostwald
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  2. Thomas Murry
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Barry M. Lester  & C. F. Zachariah Boukydis  & 

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© 1985 Plenum Press, New York

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Ostwald, P.F., Murry, T. (1985). The Communicative and Diagnostic Significance of Infant Sounds. In: Lester, B.M., Zachariah Boukydis, C.F. (eds) Infant Crying. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2381-5_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2381-5_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9455-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-2381-5

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