Mothers' and non-mothers' identification of infant cries

In the very few studies examining adults' ability to recognize the different types of infants' cries, it has usually been concluded that experience is the prime factor which facilitates identification of the various types of cry. The present study explored the specific skill of the mother, irrespective of experience. Thirty six-mothers and 32 non-mothers were asked to identify hunger, pain and pleasure cries of infants. The non-mothers were pregnant women, 14 experienced in child care, 18 inexperienced; among the mothers, 17 had one infant and 29 had one infant and an older child. Mothers responded more accurately than non-mothers, and in comparison with both experienced and inexperienced non-mothers, they proved to have unique skills in dealing with infant cries.