Perceptrtal and Motor Skills. 1979,48. 752-754.
@ Perceptual and Motor Skills 1979
EFFECTS OF TRAINING VERSUS NON-TRAINING IN IDENTIFICATION OF INFANT CRY-SIGNALS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY SAMUEL T. GLADDING Rockingham Community College'
Srimmary.-The effects of training o n the ability to identify 4 infants' cry-signals (birth, hunger. pain, and pleasure) were studied in 6 0 college students (aged 1 8 to 30 yr.). Subjects with training scored significantly higher than those without in identifying all but the pleasure cry-signal. In a follow-up retest 10 wk. later, scores for the birth and hunger cry-signals improved significantly ( p < .05) for subjects without training, while scores for subjects with training remained about the same. The suggestion that repeated exposure to cry-signals may serve as training was discussed. Studies by Wasz-Hockert. et al. (1964b) have identified by spectographic and auditory analysis four distinct cry-signals of infants: birth, hunger, pain, and pleasure. These cry-signals were recorded under controlled conditions with normal infants and normal deliveries. While Wasz-Hockert, er al. (1964a) concluded that experienced females were more accurate in identifying cry-signals than experienced males, a more recent study (Gladding, 1978) found that, when background experience as caregivers to i.nfants was controlled, gender made no difference. Rather brief training of 15 min. proved to be the most important variable in identifying infants' cry-signals for both males and females. A factor the Gladding ( 1 9 7 8 ) study did not take into consideration was the long-term effect of such brief training. The present research was a n effort to assess this effect and compare it with non-training. T h e subjects were 6 0 college students ( 5 2 females, 8 males) between the ages of 1 8 and 3 0 yr. in two sections of a child psychology class. Each class was approximately equal in terms of gender, age, and experience with children. The Wasz-Hockert, et a / . ( 1 9 6 4 b ) audio infant-cry tape and checklist were used. This audio tape presents 24 infants' cry-signals divided equally among the four crysignals defined by this group. They are ordered randomly o n the tape. The checklist for this tape is a multiple-choice instrument. Each correct answer is scored 1; each incorrect answer is scored 0. Both individual scores (maximum score = 6 ) and an over-all score (maximum = 2 4 ) are tabulated. Split-half reliability for the over-all score is reported at 2 5 . Students in one section of the course ( N = 3 2 ) listened to a 15-min. training tape on how to recognize the four infants' cry-signals. The tape included recordings of the four cry-signals made by Wasz-Hockert, et al. ( 1 9 6 8 ) . After the training and at the same session, they were asked to identify the 24 infants' cry-signals from the WaszHockerr. et al. rape (1964b). Ten weeks later rhey were reexamined o n the 24 infants' cry-signals. The ocher section of the course ( N = 2 8 ) served as a control group. Students in this section were asked to identify the 24 infants' cry-signals at the beginning of the course and then 10 wk. later. T h e data were analyzed by means of an analysis of variance o n each of the dependent factors (birth;hunger, pain, pleasure, and over-all cry-signal score). For the birth cry'Wentworth. North Carolina 27375.
753
IDENTIFICATION O F INFANT CRY-SIGNALS
@ Perceptual and Motor Skills 1979
EFFECTS OF TRAINING VERSUS NON-TRAINING IN IDENTIFICATION OF INFANT CRY-SIGNALS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY SAMUEL T. GLADDING Rockingham Community College'
Srimmary.-The effects of training o n the ability to identify 4 infants' cry-signals (birth, hunger. pain, and pleasure) were studied in 6 0 college students (aged 1 8 to 30 yr.). Subjects with training scored significantly higher than those without in identifying all but the pleasure cry-signal. In a follow-up retest 10 wk. later, scores for the birth and hunger cry-signals improved significantly ( p < .05) for subjects without training, while scores for subjects with training remained about the same. The suggestion that repeated exposure to cry-signals may serve as training was discussed. Studies by Wasz-Hockert. et al. (1964b) have identified by spectographic and auditory analysis four distinct cry-signals of infants: birth, hunger, pain, and pleasure. These cry-signals were recorded under controlled conditions with normal infants and normal deliveries. While Wasz-Hockert, er al. (1964a) concluded that experienced females were more accurate in identifying cry-signals than experienced males, a more recent study (Gladding, 1978) found that, when background experience as caregivers to i.nfants was controlled, gender made no difference. Rather brief training of 15 min. proved to be the most important variable in identifying infants' cry-signals for both males and females. A factor the Gladding ( 1 9 7 8 ) study did not take into consideration was the long-term effect of such brief training. The present research was a n effort to assess this effect and compare it with non-training. T h e subjects were 6 0 college students ( 5 2 females, 8 males) between the ages of 1 8 and 3 0 yr. in two sections of a child psychology class. Each class was approximately equal in terms of gender, age, and experience with children. The Wasz-Hockert, et a / . ( 1 9 6 4 b ) audio infant-cry tape and checklist were used. This audio tape presents 24 infants' cry-signals divided equally among the four crysignals defined by this group. They are ordered randomly o n the tape. The checklist for this tape is a multiple-choice instrument. Each correct answer is scored 1; each incorrect answer is scored 0. Both individual scores (maximum score = 6 ) and an over-all score (maximum = 2 4 ) are tabulated. Split-half reliability for the over-all score is reported at 2 5 . Students in one section of the course ( N = 3 2 ) listened to a 15-min. training tape on how to recognize the four infants' cry-signals. The tape included recordings of the four cry-signals made by Wasz-Hockert, et al. ( 1 9 6 8 ) . After the training and at the same session, they were asked to identify the 24 infants' cry-signals from the WaszHockerr. et al. rape (1964b). Ten weeks later rhey were reexamined o n the 24 infants' cry-signals. The ocher section of the course ( N = 2 8 ) served as a control group. Students in this section were asked to identify the 24 infants' cry-signals at the beginning of the course and then 10 wk. later. T h e data were analyzed by means of an analysis of variance o n each of the dependent factors (birth;hunger, pain, pleasure, and over-all cry-signal score). For the birth cry'Wentworth. North Carolina 27375.
753
IDENTIFICATION O F INFANT CRY-SIGNALS
