Masataka (Primate Research Institute, Kyoto U.) uses ethology and dynamic action theory to analyze the ways humans express themselves and communicate from early infancy to the point of making one-word statements. He takes the view that expression and communication are organized as complex systems that work with other systems involving the individual's physiology and social environment, and these systems and patterns are uniquely organized. He describes the importance of the first few months of life, in which infants learn to "take turns" and coo, then how slightly older infants develop vocal communication, react to infant-directed speech, laugh and babble, respond to sign language, and begin to speak. Although he respects traditional views of how infants come to language, he feels his approach provides the "missing link" in speech and cognitive development described in more traditional studies. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Outlining an approach to the development of communicative behavior from early infancy to the onset of single word utterances, Nobuo Masataka's research is rooted in ethology and dynamic action theory. He argues that expressive and communicative actions are organized as a complex and cooperative system with other elements of the infant's physiology, behavior and social environments. This book offers new insights into the precursors of speech and will be of interest to researchers and students of psychology, linguistics and animal behavior biology.
This fascinating book offers exciting insights into the precursors of speech.
