Intentional Communication

Pre-Intentional Communication

Expressive actions such as crying, laughing, or babbling without a specific topic.

Intentional Communication

Communication that is about something, such as words, pointing, or gestures like reaching arms up to be picked up.

Vocal Communication

Includes both non-speech vocalizations like crying or laughter and speech-like vocalizations like babbling and first words.

Manual Gestures

Intentional gestures used by infants, such as pointing or requesting to be picked up.

Protoimperative Pointing

Pointing to request or retrieve an object like food or a toy.

Protodeclarative Pointing

Pointing to direct a caregiver’s attention to an object or event, often to elicit an emotional response.

Lean Interpretation (Pointing)

Pointing as a way to elicit emotional feedback from a caregiver.

Rich Interpretation (Pointing)

Pointing to achieve joint attention, showing an understanding of others’ attentional focus.

Joint Attention

The shared focus of two individuals on an object or event, critical in social and language development.

Synaptogenesis

The formation of new connections between neurons, crucial for brain development and learning.

What is the difference between pre-intentional and intentional communication?

Pre-intentional communication involves actions like crying or babbling without a specific topic, while intentional communication is about something, such as words or gestures.

What vocal and manual communication skills develop in the first year?

Non-speech vocalizations (cries, laughter), speech-like vocalizations (babbling, first words), and manual gestures like pointing and reaching.

What are the milestones of intentional communication development?

• 0-2 months: Shared alertness.

• 2-6 months: Interpersonal engagement.

• 6-9 months: Joint object involvement (Epoch of Games).

• 9-10 months: Understanding pointing for nearby objects.

• 11-13 months: Productive pointing.

• 12 months: First words.

• 14-15 months: Comprehending distant pointing.

What does Adamson & Bakeman (1991) describe about early infant communication?

Early communication progresses from mother-infant dyadic interactions to joint object involvement by 6+ months.

What are the cognitive prerequisites for protoimperative pointing?

The child understands how to manipulate the caregiver’s attention to retrieve the desired object by pointing and looking between the object and the caregiver.

Nativist perceptive on pointing

Pointing is biologically based and species-specific

Cognitive perceptive on pointing

Pointing involves understanding others as intentional agents.

Social learning perceptive on pointing

Pointing is learned through reinforcement from caregivers.

What experiment by Liszkowski et al. (2004) supports rich interpretation in pointing?

Infants pointed more when ignored or met with neutral reactions but pointed less when joint attention was achieved, suggesting an understanding of social perspectives.

How is positive emotion linked to joint attention?

Infants express more positive emotions during joint attention, and caregivers often synchronize smiles with infants' pointing gestures.