O COMPORTAMENTO DO RECÉM-NASCIDO DIANTE A INFANTILIZAÇÃO DE VOZES FEMININAS

Abstract

This research intended to verify is the behavior of the newborn indicates recognition of motherese maternal. Subjects were twenty normal newborn babies (seven female and thirteen male) with average weight of 3,300Kg and Apgar score of nine on the first and fifth minutes of life. The experiment used a multiple ABA or reversion design, alternating between periods of base-line and periods of verbal stimulation. Behavioral data were obtained through direct observation using behavioral sampling with fixed time interval. Recorded behaviors were: Orientation, Attention, Body movements, Crying, Vocalization and Non-nutritional suction. In this study, the variation of Orientation, through out the session, suggests that habituation occurred for female Motherese in general, especially for the maternal voice. Body movements indicate relation between the stimulus and the expectation of successive events, indicating recognition of maternal motherese. Cry response indicates a tendency to discriminate the infantilization of the maternal voice and also hold a singular relation with maternal verbal behavior during gestation. The occurrence Vocalizations in response to motherese might be related to the development of the emotional processing the language. The occurrence of Non-nutritional suction demonstrates the ability of the newborn to associate environmental stimulus to the received cares.