Function of private speech in infants and children

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26560424
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Childhood science (childhood environment science)
• Research Institution: Kanazawa Gakuin College (2018); Doshisha University (2014-2017)
• Principal Investigator: Shimada Yohko 金沢学院短期大学, 幼児教育学科, 講師 (60422903)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 乳児 / 独言 / 私的言語 / ASD児 / 音環境 / 保育

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present project, we recorded private vocalization of infants and children with autism spectrum disorder in their home. Sound patterns of their vocalization and their activities were coded. The results suggest that their vocalization pattern changed according to change in their activities.
Samples of children’s vocalization when alone were collected in nurseries to find out categories of nonverbal private vocalization. Additionally, we explored sound environments potentially supporting the spontaneous vocalization. Using a noise meter, noise level and its sources were assessed in nurseries, and we investigated whether multiple loud vocalization are attributed to noisy environment. Scale for sound environment was also administered to develop a tool for evaluation method. This study is expected not only to develop products to childcare sites through a collaboration with an industry on nursery sound environment, but also to identify actual need in the field of childcare.

Free Research Field

発達心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

私的言語は幼児の自己制御と関わる重要な機能をもつとされているが、言語獲得以前の独言やASD児の独言の機能についてはあきらかにされていなかった。本研究は独言のリズムやメロディーの発生、音遊びなど音楽的側面に着目し、先行研究の分類では説明できない独言の存在を示し、非言語の独言の機能について新しい解釈を提言した。
また保育現場において環境との関連を探り、保育者との協働により調査をおこなうことにより研究成果を具体的な保育環境改善にむすびつけた。