Abstract
Mathematical regularities in the gross temporal pattern of infant-adult gaze behavior are identical to those found in adult verbal conversations. Both types of interaction conform to a Markov chain model. Such regularities suggest some universal property of human communication which predates the onset of speech. The present infants were 3.5 months old.
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This research was supported by the Grant Foundation, the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc., the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene, and the Federal Work-Study program of the City College of New York.
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Jaffe, J., Stern, D.N. & Peery, J.C. “Conversational” coupling of gaze behavior in prelinguistic human development. J Psycholinguist Res 2, 321–329 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067054
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067054