Fathers learning on the job: Role of Paternity Leave Duration on Paternal Infant-Directed Speech and Preference for Male Infant-Directed Speech in infants

The acoustic properties of infant-directed speech (IDS) and the functions that IDS may serve in language development have drawn noticeable interest in infant development research. However, previous research has mostly explored IDS in mothers and the preference for maternal IDS, with few studies assessing the role of exposure to or parenthood experience with an infant on acoustic properties of IDS and infants’ preference for IDS. The current study will thus explore infant-directed speech in Norwegian fathers and the role of experience (duration of parental leave) on paternal language and infants’ preference for male IDS. By using eye tracking technology, this study will be one of few to explore whether first-born infants prefer male infant-directed speech in early language development and if their preference is modulated by the amount of exposure to male IDS. The results of the current study will provide insights into the mechanisms affecting infant-directed speech and infants’ preference for IDS in infancy.