Early Development of Intentional Communicative Abilities in Korean Infants
AUTHOR : 곽금주, 김민화, 장유경
INFORMATION : page. 49~69 / 2004 Vol.11 No.1
ABSTRACT
Two studies reported here examine early intentional communicative abilities of Korean infants. In study 1, understanding and production of pointing, as a intentional gesture, in the age of 8 to 18 month-olds (total 844) were investigated. Experimenters observed responding of infants to their pointing gestures at each infant\'s home. And mothers checked on checklist of various types of pointing production of their infants. In study 2, the relations between intentional gestures (pointing), general communicative skills, pretend play abilities were analyzed through comparison scores of CSBS (Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales) and pretend play checklist of early developed infants to late infants in understanding and production of pointing. In results, 10-month-olds were beginning to understand pointing at near distance in the level of significantly above 50%. 12-month-olds could produce declarative pointing. And 14-month-olds understood and produced pointing at far distance. The developments of understanding and production of pointing, however, were independent, because production of declarative pointing connected to other general communicative skills while understanding of pointing did not. Also, both were not related to verbal comprehension and expression. Through the results we discussed that nonverbal communication may not be a precursor for the development of verbal language but be a socio-functional mechanism that develops independently to verbal language.