Although
the second year of life is characterized by dramatic changes in expressive
language and by increases in negative emotion expression, verbal
communication and emotional communication are often studied separately. With
a sample of twenty-five one-year-olds (12–23 months), we used Language
Environment Analysis (LENA; Xu, Yapanel, & Gray, 2009, Reliability of the
LENA™ language environment analysis system in young children’s natural home
environment. LENA Foundation) to audio-record and quantify parent–toddler
communication, including toddlers’ vocal negative emotion expressions, across
a full waking day. Using a multilevel extension of lag-sequential analysis,
we investigated whether parents are differentially responsive to toddlers’
negative emotion expressions compared to their verbal or preverbal
vocalizations, and we examined the effects of parents’ verbal responses on
toddlers’ subsequent communicative behavior. Toddlers’ negative emotions were
less likely than their vocalizations to be followed by parent speech.
However, when negative emotions were followed by parent speech, toddlers were
most likely to vocalize next. Post hoc analyses suggest that older toddlers
and toddlers with higher language abilities were more likely to shift from
negative emotion to verbal or preverbal vocalization following parent
response. Implications of the results for understanding the parent–toddler
communication processes that support both emotional development and verbal
development are discussed.
