Cry Perception Study

The goal of the project was to better understand how caregivers’ ratings of infant cries relate to the actual characteristics of the cry sounds. This research may help inform future studies focused on identifying early indicators of delays in language, communication, or other developmental milestones.

The study was completed in one 45-minute in-person visit, which took place at the Child Development Lab or at the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment.

This study involved:

• Completing a questionnaire with questions about basic demographics, time spent on caregiving activities, and feelings and experiences in everyday life (10–15 minutes).
• Listening to 17 cry recordings, each a maximum of 15 seconds in length, and rating each cry immediately after listening on different items; each item was rated on a 7-point scale (15–20 minutes).