The Conditioned head turn procedure as a method for testing infant speech perception

B.C. Research Institute for Child and Family Health, Vancouver, CanadaThe purpose of this paper is to present and describe theConditioned Head Turn procedure, with primary focus on itsuse as a method for testing infant speech perception. The paperbegins with a brief history of the Conditioned Head TurnProcedure followed by a fairly detailed description of howthe procedure is currently implemented. We then briefly outlinethe methods of analysis that are best suited for data obtained withthe Conditioned Head Turn procedure. Next discussed arevariations in the Conditioned Head Turn procedure when it isused with subjects of different ages. Then, some of the kinds offindings that have been revealed in the area of infant speechperception are presented to give the reader a sense of the range ofquestions that can be answered using this procedure. Followingthis, the strengths and limitations of the procedure are discussedfrankly. We end with a presentation of new variations to theprocedure that have been developed in recent years, and note howthese new variations are expanding the range of questions theprocedure can address. ’1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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