Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to examine whether there is a listening preference for child-directed speech (CDS) over backward speech in moderate-preterm infants (MPIs). Method: Eighteen MPIs of gestational age of 32.0 weeks (range: 32-34.06 weeks), chronological age of 8.09 months, and maturation age of 6.48 months served as the…

Across languages, certain syllables are systematically preferred to others (e.g., "plaf > ptaf"). Here, we examine whether these preferences arise from motor simulation. In the simulation account, ill-formed syllables (e.g., "ptaf") are disliked because their motor plans are harder to simulate. Four experiments compared…

We examined full-term and preterm infants' perception of frequent and infrequent phonotactic pairings involving sibilants and liquids. Infants were tested on their preference for syllables with onsets involving /s/ or /?/ followed by /l/ or /r/ using the Headturn Preference Procedure. Full-term infants preferred the frequent to the infrequent…