Testing the relationship between preferences for infant-directed speech and vocabulary development: A multi-lab study

Melanie Soderstrom; Joscelin Rocha-Hidalgo; Luis E. Muñoz; Agata Bochynska; Janet F. Werker; Barbora Skarabela; Amanda Seidl; Yana Ryjova; Jennifer L. Rennels; Christine E. Potter; Markus Paulus; Mitsuhiko Ota; Nonah M. Olesen; Karli M. Nave; Julien Mayor; Alia Martin; Lauren C. Machon; Casey Lew-Williams; Eon Suk Ko; Hyunji Kim; Natalia Kartushina; Marina Kammermeier; Andrew Jessop; Jessica F. Hay; Naomi Havron; Erin E. Hannon; J. Kiley Hamlin; Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez; Anja Gampe; Tom Fritzsche; Michael C. Frank; Samantha Durrant; Catherine Davies; Cara Cashon; Krista Byers-Heinlein; Veronica Boyce; Alexis K. Black; Christina Bergmann; Laura Anderson; Mohammed K. Alshakhori; Ali H. Al-Hoorie; Angeline S.M. Tsui

doi:10.1017/S0305000924000254

Testing the relationship between preferences for infant-directed speech and vocabulary development: A multi-lab study

Melanie Soderstrom
, Joscelin Rocha-Hidalgo
, Luis E. Muñoz
, Agata Bochynska
, Janet F. Werker
, Barbora Skarabela
, Amanda Seidl
, Yana Ryjova
, Jennifer L. Rennels
, Christine E. Potter
, Markus Paulus
, Mitsuhiko Ota
, Nonah M. Olesen
, Karli M. Nave
, Julien Mayor
, Alia Martin
, Lauren C. Machon
, Casey Lew-Williams
, Eon Suk Ko
, Hyunji Kim

Natalia Kartushina, Marina Kammermeier, Andrew Jessop, Jessica F. Hay, Naomi Havron, Erin E. Hannon, J. Kiley Hamlin, Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez, Anja Gampe, Tom Fritzsche, Michael C. Frank, Samantha Durrant, Catherine Davies, Cara Cashon, Krista Byers-Heinlein, Veronica Boyce, Alexis K. Black, Christina Bergmann, Laura Anderson, Mohammed K. Alshakhori, Ali H. Al-Hoorie, Angeline S.M. Tsui

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

From early on, infants show a preference for infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS), and exposure to IDS has been correlated with language outcome measures such as vocabulary. The present multi-laboratory study explores this issue by investigating whether there is a link between early preference for IDS and later vocabulary size. Infants’ preference for IDS was tested as part of the ManyBabies 1 project, and follow-up CDI data were collected from a subsample of this dataset at 18 and 24 months. A total of 341 (18 months) and 327 (24 months) infants were tested across 21 laboratories. In neither preregistered analyses with North American and UK English, nor exploratory analyses with a larger sample did we find evidence for a relation between IDS preference and later vocabulary. We discuss implications of this finding in light of recent work suggesting that IDS preference measured in the laboratory has low test-retest reliability.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	984-1009
Number of pages	26
Journal	Journal of Child Language
Volume	52
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000924000254
State	Published - Sep 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2024.

Keywords

infant-directed speech
vocabulary development

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Language and Linguistics
Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Linguistics and Language
General Psychology

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10.1017/S0305000924000254

Cite this

Soderstrom, M., Rocha-Hidalgo, J., Muñoz, L. E., Bochynska, A., Werker, J. F., Skarabela, B., Seidl, A., Ryjova, Y., Rennels, J. L., Potter, C. E., Paulus, M., Ota, M., Olesen, N. M., Nave, K. M., Mayor, J., Martin, A., Machon, L. C., Lew-Williams, C., Ko, E. S., ... Tsui, A. S. M. (2025). Testing the relationship between preferences for infant-directed speech and vocabulary development: A multi-lab study. Journal of Child Language, 52(5), 984-1009. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000924000254

@article{237bdef9e0414ded8aafa4cc4462b92a,

title = "Testing the relationship between preferences for infant-directed speech and vocabulary development: A multi-lab study",

abstract = "From early on, infants show a preference for infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS), and exposure to IDS has been correlated with language outcome measures such as vocabulary. The present multi-laboratory study explores this issue by investigating whether there is a link between early preference for IDS and later vocabulary size. Infants{\textquoteright} preference for IDS was tested as part of the ManyBabies 1 project, and follow-up CDI data were collected from a subsample of this dataset at 18 and 24 months. A total of 341 (18 months) and 327 (24 months) infants were tested across 21 laboratories. In neither preregistered analyses with North American and UK English, nor exploratory analyses with a larger sample did we find evidence for a relation between IDS preference and later vocabulary. We discuss implications of this finding in light of recent work suggesting that IDS preference measured in the laboratory has low test-retest reliability.",

keywords = "infant-directed speech, vocabulary development",

author = "Melanie Soderstrom and Joscelin Rocha-Hidalgo and Mu{\~n}oz, \{Luis E.\} and Agata Bochynska and Werker, \{Janet F.\} and Barbora Skarabela and Amanda Seidl and Yana Ryjova and Rennels, \{Jennifer L.\} and Potter, \{Christine E.\} and Markus Paulus and Mitsuhiko Ota and Olesen, \{Nonah M.\} and Nave, \{Karli M.\} and Julien Mayor and Alia Martin and Machon, \{Lauren C.\} and Casey Lew-Williams and Ko, \{Eon Suk\} and Hyunji Kim and Natalia Kartushina and Marina Kammermeier and Andrew Jessop and Hay, \{Jessica F.\} and Naomi Havron and Hannon, \{Erin E.\} and Hamlin, \{J. Kiley\} and Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez and Anja Gampe and Tom Fritzsche and Frank, \{Michael C.\} and Samantha Durrant and Catherine Davies and Cara Cashon and Krista Byers-Heinlein and Veronica Boyce and Black, \{Alexis K.\} and Christina Bergmann and Laura Anderson and Alshakhori, \{Mohammed K.\} and Al-Hoorie, \{Ali H.\} and Tsui, \{Angeline S.M.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2024.",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1017/S0305000924000254",

language = "English",

volume = "52",

pages = "984--1009",

journal = "Journal of Child Language",

issn = "0305-0009",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "5",

}

Soderstrom, M, Rocha-Hidalgo, J, Muñoz, LE, Bochynska, A, Werker, JF, Skarabela, B, Seidl, A, Ryjova, Y, Rennels, JL, Potter, CE, Paulus, M, Ota, M, Olesen, NM, Nave, KM, Mayor, J, Martin, A, Machon, LC, Lew-Williams, C, Ko, ES, Kim, H, Kartushina, N, Kammermeier, M, Jessop, A, Hay, JF, Havron, N, Hannon, EE, Hamlin, JK, Gonzalez-Gomez, N, Gampe, A, Fritzsche, T, Frank, MC, Durrant, S, Davies, C, Cashon, C, Byers-Heinlein, K, Boyce, V, Black, AK, Bergmann, C, Anderson, L, Alshakhori, MK, Al-Hoorie, AH & Tsui, ASM 2025, 'Testing the relationship between preferences for infant-directed speech and vocabulary development: A multi-lab study', Journal of Child Language, vol. 52, no. 5, pp. 984-1009. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000924000254

TY - JOUR

T1 - Testing the relationship between preferences for infant-directed speech and vocabulary development

T2 - A multi-lab study

AU - Soderstrom, Melanie

AU - Rocha-Hidalgo, Joscelin

AU - Muñoz, Luis E.

AU - Bochynska, Agata

AU - Werker, Janet F.

AU - Skarabela, Barbora

AU - Seidl, Amanda

AU - Ryjova, Yana

AU - Rennels, Jennifer L.

AU - Potter, Christine E.

AU - Paulus, Markus

AU - Ota, Mitsuhiko

AU - Olesen, Nonah M.

AU - Nave, Karli M.

AU - Mayor, Julien

AU - Martin, Alia

AU - Machon, Lauren C.

AU - Lew-Williams, Casey

AU - Ko, Eon Suk

AU - Kim, Hyunji

AU - Kartushina, Natalia

AU - Kammermeier, Marina

AU - Jessop, Andrew

AU - Hay, Jessica F.

AU - Havron, Naomi

AU - Hannon, Erin E.

AU - Hamlin, J. Kiley

AU - Gonzalez-Gomez, Nayeli

AU - Gampe, Anja

AU - Fritzsche, Tom

AU - Frank, Michael C.

AU - Durrant, Samantha

AU - Davies, Catherine

AU - Cashon, Cara

AU - Byers-Heinlein, Krista

AU - Boyce, Veronica

AU - Black, Alexis K.

AU - Bergmann, Christina

AU - Anderson, Laura

AU - Alshakhori, Mohammed K.

AU - Al-Hoorie, Ali H.

AU - Tsui, Angeline S.M.

PY - 2025/9

Y1 - 2025/9

N2 - From early on, infants show a preference for infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS), and exposure to IDS has been correlated with language outcome measures such as vocabulary. The present multi-laboratory study explores this issue by investigating whether there is a link between early preference for IDS and later vocabulary size. Infants’ preference for IDS was tested as part of the ManyBabies 1 project, and follow-up CDI data were collected from a subsample of this dataset at 18 and 24 months. A total of 341 (18 months) and 327 (24 months) infants were tested across 21 laboratories. In neither preregistered analyses with North American and UK English, nor exploratory analyses with a larger sample did we find evidence for a relation between IDS preference and later vocabulary. We discuss implications of this finding in light of recent work suggesting that IDS preference measured in the laboratory has low test-retest reliability.

AB - From early on, infants show a preference for infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS), and exposure to IDS has been correlated with language outcome measures such as vocabulary. The present multi-laboratory study explores this issue by investigating whether there is a link between early preference for IDS and later vocabulary size. Infants’ preference for IDS was tested as part of the ManyBabies 1 project, and follow-up CDI data were collected from a subsample of this dataset at 18 and 24 months. A total of 341 (18 months) and 327 (24 months) infants were tested across 21 laboratories. In neither preregistered analyses with North American and UK English, nor exploratory analyses with a larger sample did we find evidence for a relation between IDS preference and later vocabulary. We discuss implications of this finding in light of recent work suggesting that IDS preference measured in the laboratory has low test-retest reliability.

KW - infant-directed speech

KW - vocabulary development

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105012832565

U2 - 10.1017/S0305000924000254

DO - 10.1017/S0305000924000254

M3 - Article

C2 - 39422249

AN - SCOPUS:105012832565

SN - 0305-0009

VL - 52

SP - 984

EP - 1009

JO - Journal of Child Language

JF - Journal of Child Language

IS - 5

ER -

Testing the relationship between preferences for infant-directed speech and vocabulary development: A multi-lab study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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