What is it about?
What determines how mothers talk to children? We compared maternal talk to their own child and an unknown child. Mothers used more complex mental state talk with their own child, with the child's mental state talk prompting such talk in mothers.
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Why is it important?
Our study provides key information about how mothers scaffold their child's language, as well as the child's understanding of other people. It also indicates how children shape mother-child interactions with an established relationship between mother and child, and with the child's own linguistic contribution.
Perspectives
Children acquire all kinds of knowledge as they grow older, but how? There is an intricate interplay between children and parents. Our study shows that children shape the interaction with their own talk, but equally, mothers respond, by using more sophisticated talk a child who does likewise. This two-way process results in optimal learning by the child.
Ted Ruffman
University of Otago
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The importance of relationship history on parents’ scaffolding of children’s mental states., Developmental Psychology, March 2025, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/dev0001923.
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