Abstract

This study takes a look at baby signing and its effect on caregiver responsiveness, considering how vital caregiver responsiveness is when it comes to language development. A meta-analytic review that quantitatively combines data was conducted to estimate the effect size between baby signs and caregiver responsiveness. There were no restrictions on geography or culture in which studies were conducted. However, the time period of publication was limited from 2009 to 2020 in an attempt to examine the most recent research possible. The following search terms were used: baby signing, gestures, caregiver responsiveness, caregiver interactions, and caregiver. For a study to be included it must have met a specific criteria. Based on the criteria, a total of three articles related to baby signs and caregiver responsiveness were located. Each study was coded for outcomes related to caregiver responsiveness and the influence of signs and gestures. Age of participants was classified as months of age based on either the age range of participants provided or the mean age of participants. Each study was also coded for the research design that best described the study, the location of data collection, and publication year. The present meta-analysis found a significant positive relationship between baby signs and caregiver responsiveness. The r value for the relationship between the use of baby signs and caregiver responsiveness was .72. The estimates of the study were not substantially different from the overall effect size which indicates that no single study made a disproportionate contribution to the overall effects. The current study provides preliminary evidence that the use of baby signing influences caregiver responsiveness, which in turn, promotes language development.

Thesis Completion

2021

Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair/Advisor

Wright, Chrysalis

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Release Date

5-1-2021

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