An event-eased analysis of the coordination of early infant vocalizations and facial actions

This study used an event-based approach to provide empirical evidence regar ding the nature of coordination in 3- and 6-month-old infants. Vocalization s and facial actions of 12 normally developing infants interacting with the ir caregivers were coded. Coded vocalizations and facial actions were consi dered coordinated when they temporally overlapped. Results indicate that in fants coordinated their vocalizations and facial actions more than expected by chance. Coordinated events were governed by 2 sequence patterns. When 2 communicative events were temporally associated across modalities, I event tended to be completely embedded within the other, and vocalizations tende d to end before facial actions. This study provides new information about h ow infant communication is structured, confirms results from other coordina tion studies, and describes a new method for analysis of event-based data.