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Reference and attitude in infant pointing.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Liszkowski, U; Carpenter, M; Tomasello, M
Published in: Journal of child language
February 2007

We investigated two main components of infant declarative pointing, reference and attitude, in two experiments with a total of 106 preverbal infants at 1;0. When an experimenter (E) responded to the declarative pointing of these infants by attending to an incorrect referent (with positive attitude), infants repeated pointing within trials to redirect E's attention, showing an understanding of E's reference and active message repair. In contrast, when E identified infants' referent correctly but displayed a disinterested attitude, infants did not repeat pointing within trials and pointed overall in fewer trials, showing an understanding of E's unenthusiastic attitude about the referent. When E attended to infants' intended referent AND shared interest in it, infants were most satisfied, showing no message repair within trials and pointing overall in more trials. These results suggest that by twelve months of age infant declarative pointing is a full communicative act aimed at sharing with others both attention to a referent and a specific attitude about that referent.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of child language

DOI

EISSN

1469-7602

ISSN

0305-0009

Publication Date

February 2007

Volume

34

Issue

1

Start / End Page

1 / 20

Related Subject Headings

  • Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology
  • Male
  • Infant Behavior
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Gestures
  • Female
  • Communication
  • Attitude
  • 52 Psychology
 

Citation

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Liszkowski, U., Carpenter, M., & Tomasello, M. (2007). Reference and attitude in infant pointing. Journal of Child Language, 34(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0305000906007689
Liszkowski, Ulf, Malinda Carpenter, and Michael Tomasello. “Reference and attitude in infant pointing.Journal of Child Language 34, no. 1 (February 2007): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0305000906007689.
Liszkowski U, Carpenter M, Tomasello M. Reference and attitude in infant pointing. Journal of child language. 2007 Feb;34(1):1–20.
Liszkowski, Ulf, et al. “Reference and attitude in infant pointing.Journal of Child Language, vol. 34, no. 1, Feb. 2007, pp. 1–20. Epmc, doi:10.1017/s0305000906007689.
Liszkowski U, Carpenter M, Tomasello M. Reference and attitude in infant pointing. Journal of child language. 2007 Feb;34(1):1–20.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of child language

DOI

EISSN

1469-7602

ISSN

0305-0009

Publication Date

February 2007

Volume

34

Issue

1

Start / End Page

1 / 20

Related Subject Headings

  • Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology
  • Male
  • Infant Behavior
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Gestures
  • Female
  • Communication
  • Attitude
  • 52 Psychology