CONVERSATIONAL PATTERNS OF 2-YEAR-OLD TWINS IN MOTHER-TWIN-TWIN TRIADS

This study investigated the general nature of conversational interacti on in mother-twin-twin triads. Four sets of firstborn twins (2;3) were videotaped during Ig minutes of free play with their mothers. Analyse s revealed that triadic conversations were approximately five times lo nger, and elicited more turns from all speakers, than dyadic conversat ions between a mother and a single twin. Twins also responded as often to comments and requests made to another person as to those directed to themselves, but responded more often to questions addressed directl y to them than to others, indicating reliable monitoring of language n ot addressed to them. These results largely parallel those reported fo r mother-infant-sibling triads and indicate the unique effects of tria dic exchanges are not due to the relative linguistic levels of the chi ld partners.