Cross-modal matching of audio-visual German and French fluent speech in infancy

PLoS One. 2014 Feb 20;9(2):e89275. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089275. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The present study examined when and how the ability to cross-modally match audio-visual fluent speech develops in 4.5-, 6- and 12-month-old German-learning infants. In Experiment 1, 4.5- and 6-month-old infants' audio-visual matching ability of native (German) and non-native (French) fluent speech was assessed by presenting auditory and visual speech information sequentially, that is, in the absence of temporal synchrony cues. The results showed that 4.5-month-old infants were capable of matching native as well as non-native audio and visual speech stimuli, whereas 6-month-olds perceived the audio-visual correspondence of native language stimuli only. This suggests that intersensory matching narrows for fluent speech between 4.5 and 6 months of age. In Experiment 2, auditory and visual speech information was presented simultaneously, therefore, providing temporal synchrony cues. Here, 6-month-olds were found to match native as well as non-native speech indicating facilitation of temporal synchrony cues on the intersensory perception of non-native fluent speech. Intriguingly, despite the fact that audio and visual stimuli cohered temporally, 12-month-olds matched the non-native language only. Results were discussed with regard to multisensory perceptual narrowing during the first year of life.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Association Learning*
  • Auditory Perception / physiology*
  • Child Development
  • Discrimination Learning*
  • Female
  • France
  • Germany
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Language Development
  • Language*
  • Male
  • Speech / physiology*
  • Visual Perception / physiology*

Grants and funding

This study was supported through a grant from the German Research Foundation (www.dfg.de) for GS (SCHW 665/11-1) and ANR–10-FRAL-017 (www.agence-nationale-recherche.fr) for OP. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.