Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-qsmjn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-17T18:55:33.543Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Doggerel: motherese in a new context*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek  and
Rebecca Treiman
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania
Rebecca Treiman
Affiliation:
Indiana University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Four master–dog dyads were studied to determine whether the language that is used in speaking to dogs (doggerel) resembles the language that is used in speaking to children (motherese). The structural properties of doggerel are strikingly similar to those that have been reported for motherese. Certain differences between motherese and doggerel may arise in functional and social areas. The similarities between the two language registers suggest that motherese is not elicited in response to either the linguistic level or the cognitive/intellectual level of the child. Rather, the social responsiveness of the listener may be sufficient to elicit the motherese register.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , February 1982 , pp. 229 - 237
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Allport, F. H. (1924). Social psychology. Cambridge, Mass.: Houghton-Mifflin.Google Scholar
Berko-Gleason, J. & Weintraub, S. (1978). Input language and the acquisition of communicative competence. In Nelson, K. E.. (ed.), Children's language, Vol. 1. New York: Gardner.Google Scholar
Brown, R. (1977). Introduction. In Snow, C. E. & Ferguson, C. A.. (eds), Talking to children: language input and acquisition. Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar
Brown, R. & Hanlon, C. (1970). Derivational complexity and order of acquisition in child speech. In Hayes, J. R.. (ed.), Cognition and the development of language. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Cazden, C. (1965). Environmental assistance to the child's acquisition of grammar. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University.Google Scholar
Chomsky, N. (1959). Review of Skinner's ‘Verbal behavior’. Lg 35. 26–58.Google Scholar
Coon, K. (1977). The dog intelligence test. New York: Avon.Google Scholar
Cross, T. G. (1977). Mothers' speech adjustments: the contribution of selected child listener variables. In Snow, C. E. & Ferguson, C. A. (eds), Talking to children: language input and acquisition. Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar
de Paolo, B. M. & Bonvillian, J. B. (1978). The effect on language development of the special characteristics of speech addressed to children. JPsycholingRes 7. 189–211.Google Scholar
de Villiers, J. G. & de Villiers, P. A. (1978). Language acquisition. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Ferguson, C. A. (1977). Baby talk as a simplified register. In Snow, C. E. & Ferguson, C. A.. (eds), Talking to children: language input and acquisition. Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar
Levelt, W. J. M. (1975). What became of LAD? Peter de Ridder Publications in Cognition, 1. Lisse, Netherlands: Peter de Ridder Press.Google Scholar
Miller, N. E. & Dollard, J. (1941). Social learning and imitation. New Haven: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Newport, E. L., Gleitman, H. & Gleitman, L. R. (1977). Mother I'd rather do it myself: some effects and non-effects of maternal speech style. In Snow, C. E. & Ferguson, C. A.. (eds), Talking to children: language input and acquisition. Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar
Remick, H. (1976). Maternal speech to children during language acquisition. In von Raffler-Engel, W. & Lebrun, Y.. (eds), Baby talk and infant speech. Amsterdam: Swets & Zeitlinger.Google Scholar
Skinner, B. F. (1957) Verbal behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snow, C. E. (1972). Mothers' speech to children learning language. ChDev 43. 549–65.Google Scholar
Snow, C. E. (1977). The development of conversation between mothers and babies. JChLang 4. 1–22.Google Scholar
Snow, C. E. & Ferguson, C. A. (1977). Talking to children: language input and acquisition. Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar