Publisher's Synopsis
Since the 1970s researchers in the communicative development of infants and small children have rejected traditional models and have begun to explore the complex, dynamic properties of communicative exchanges. This study proposes a new and advanced frame of reference to account for the growing body of experimental work on the emergence of the communication processes. Communication development in the early years of life undergoes both universal processes of change and variations linked to the characteristics and qualities of different social contexts. The book presents key issues in communication research which were either re-visited (intentional communication, imitation, symbolic play) or newly introduced (co-regulation, the role of emotions, shared meaning) in recent years. It goes on to provide an account of communication as a context-bound process, deriving from the work of Wallon and Vygotsky. This includes studies showing differences in communication between infants, compared with those with adults which have important methodological implications.
