Fathers' Speech to Their Children: Perfect Pitch or Tin Ear?

• Published in: Fathering (Harriman, Tenn.) Tenn.), 2003-02, Vol.1 (1), p.27-50
• Main Authors: Abkarian, G.G, Dworkin, James Paul, Abkarian, Andrea K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Child development; Father and child; Father-child relations; Human relations; Influence; Interpersonal communication; Language; Language Acquisition; Language and languages; Males; Men; Parents & parenting; Personal relationships; Preschool Children; Young Children
• ISSN: 1537-6680; 1933-026X
• DOI: 10.3149/fth.0101.27

Contrary to earlier findings of word-use similarities, fathers have been found to use a more varied vocabulary and to use more rare and abstract words with their youngsters than do mothers ([Bernstein-Ratner], 1988; Gleason, 1975; Masur & Gleason, 1980). In the realm of syntax differences, a number of writers have found that fathers are more likely to direct questions to their children ([McLaughlin], Schultz, & White, 1980; McLaughlin et al., 1983; Walker & Armstrong, 1995). Many of these questions are wh-questions (who, where, why) as differentiated from mothers' preference for yes/no questions. There has been speculation that increased question use by fathers is reflective of communication breakdowns, which occur with more frequency in father-child discourse. That is, if a parent fails to understand what a child has said or what a child has meant, a parent might request a clarification from the child ("What?", "Where were you going?", "Can you say that again?", "Who is Ethan?"). Requests of this sort are much more common among father-child pairs (Mannle & Tomasello, 1987; Tomasello, Conti-Ramsden, & Ewert, 1990). Fathers are also less likely to continue a child's topic in conversations and less likely than mothers to acknowledge their children's contributions ("That's nice," "Oh?") (Hladik & [Edwards], 1984; [Leaper], Anderson, & Sanders, 1998; Mannle & Tomasello, 1987). Evidence suggests that fathers' nonverbal play behavior might also benefit children in unexpected ways. Compared to mothers, fathers' play behavior is more physical, boisterous, and complex (Fagot, 1997; [Lamb, Pleck, Charnov], 1982; MacDonald & Parke, 1986) as well as more unpredictable and novel (Pecheux & Labrell, 1994). Even fathers' singing style with their children evidences unpredictability. [Trehaub] et al. (1997) found that while mothers tended to sing stereotypic, child-oriented, simple songs ("twinkle-twinkle" or "itsy bitsy spider"), fathers altered popular or folk songs, creating complex songs for their children. Fathers' play behavior is less likely to involve the thematic play (playing store, playing school) that is more typical of mothers. In many ways these behaviors echo fathers' verbal style with their children in its less scripted, less predictable character. Fathers' play style has been linked to infants' increased exploratory behavior, both in unfamiliar environments ([Feldman], Greenbaum, Mayes, & Erlich, 1997) and with unfamiliar adults (Kromelow, Harding, & Touri