Baby-directed speech and pet-directed speech are similar because it actually does get the animals/baby’s attention and it holds it for longer than normal speech patterns.
However with baby-directed speech we tend to exaggerate the pronounciation of words but we don’t so this with animals. so this suggests that it can also be a tool to help teach babies to speak.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_talk
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-04671-z
It’s a form of code switching, and we do it all the time! Not just for babies and animals, but those are more exaggerated examples.
Code switching is when we change our speech according to the situation. Think about the way you’d talk on the phone with customer service vs with a close family member. You’re using the same language, and many of the same words, but there are subtle differences. The coolest part to me is one you mentioned – we do this without really thinking about it!
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