Acoustic features of infant crying related to intended caregiving intervention

The present study investigated the acoustic features of crying associated with intended caregiving intervention. One hundred eighty-eight parents (138 females, 50 males) viewed a videotape depicting a healthy 4-week-old infant progressing from fussing to crying over the course of 4 minutes, and indicated if and when they would pick up the infant in a real-life situation. There was a distinct peak in responding corresponding to an increase in duration but not fundamental frequency of the infant's cries. This finding is discussed in terms of the existing empirical literature. It is hypothesized that, whereas frequency may convey information about a newborn's neurological integrity and health status at birth, duration and other acoustical variables provide information about slightly older, normal infants' level of distress. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.