Baby talk may be a human superpower

An almost universal phenomenon in humans is the use of child-directed speech, where caregivers communicate with children, often involving a particular speech style also termed "baby talk." Numerous studies have linked the amount of child-directed speech children hear to better learning outcomes (e.g. vocabulary size or literacy skills). This practice seems to facilitate the acquisition of language. But how did this trait evolve?

Jun 25, 2025 - 21:10
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An almost universal phenomenon in humans is the use of child-directed speech, where caregivers communicate with children, often involving a particular speech style also termed "baby talk." Numerous studies have linked the amount of child-directed speech children hear to better learning outcomes (e.g. vocabulary size or literacy skills). This practice seems to facilitate the acquisition of language. But how did this trait evolve?