A longitudinal study of early mother-infant interaction and later language competence

Abstract

Twenty-four mother-infant dyads participated in a longitudinal study of interaction at 6 and 8 months and language competence at 17 and 24 months. Interaction was coded for mothers' use of verbal references to objects as following or redirecting and joint attention. Language competence was measured by the MacArthur CDI. Joint attention at 6 months was positively correlated with later language competence; no 8-month correlations were found. Surprisingly, maternal verbal redirections were positively correlated with joint attention at 6 and 8 months. These findings suggest that joint attention is important with respect to language at an earlier age than previously thought and that early joint attention is not frustrated by maternal redirection as is the case during second year interaction.

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