Development of Speech Timing Control in Children

TINGLEY, BETH M., and ALLEN, GEORGE D. Development of Speech Timing Control in Children. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1975, 46, 186-194. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which (speech) motor timing control, as defined by a statistical model, improves in consistency with age and the degree to which peripheral feedback is used by children to maintain this consistency. 20 Ss, 5 of each group 5, 7, 9, 11 years, +-6 months, repeated the phrase twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you 30 times and tapped their finger on a force gauge transducer for 2 minutes, as steadily as possible. Analysis of each S's temporal variability in these repeated behaviors indicates that timing control did improve with age, the statistical model adequately characterized the variability, and, at least in this particular speech task, feedback was not used. Tapping and speech variability were similar in magnitude, supporting the possibility of a common timing-control mechanism. Clinical applications and possible genetic implications are discussed.