Recording of babies' cries for prosodic characterization and constitution of a scientific collection

• Grant number: 23/13188-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2023
• End date: April 25, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Human Development Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Emma Otta
• Grantee: Helena Aiko Ishikawa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/02107-6 - The University of São Paulo twin panel: research on twins' behavior, health, and well-being, AP.TEM

Abstract

This scholarship is part of the Project "Twins USP Panel: Research on Behavior, Health and Well-Being of Twins", Process FAPESP nº 2022/02107-6, and, more specifically, to Subproject: Acoustic production and prosodic structure of cries of human and non-human mammalian pups. The baby's cry is a non-verbal communication signal in which prosodic variations may be associated with different causes (individuality, ontogenetic moment, motivation, and emotion). It has already been found in crying patterns related to health (e.g., cardiac dysfunctions), developmental problems (auditory perception, autism), and indicative of variations in the level of well-being and emotional state (Orlandi, 2021; Valdes, Reyes-Galaviz , Ortiz & Reyes-García, 2022). Comparative study of sibling cries with different levels of genetic similarity and rearing environments (i.e., MZ and DZ twins and siblings from independent pregnancies) led to important discoveries about the influence of genetic and behavioral variables. We are interested in evaluating the prosodic structure of babies concerning genetic and developmental mechanisms. We expect to find (1) more significant similarity between MZ siblings in frequency parameters, given the constraints imposed by the laryngeal structure, genetically determined; and (2) similarities between siblings with different levels of genotypic sharing, developed over time, relative to the upbringing environment (eg, accents). Quality recordings of babies' cries up to 3 months old will be obtained, analyzed in two software (Raven and Praat), and deposited in a scientific sound library. In a second moment, recordings of these same babies' cries will be obtained when they complete 8 months intending to evaluate if the patterns of the prosodic structure are maintained.