AIRS 3rd Annual Meeting: 2013

Title: Emotion Regulation through Maternal Lively and Soothing Singing
Authors: Niusha Ghazban (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University), Sabrina Aimola
(Department of Psychology, Ryerson University), Natalie Ein (Department of Psychology,
Ryerson University), Jean-Paul Boudreau (Department of Psychology and Faculty of Arts,
Ryerson University), Frank Russo (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University), Sandra E.
Trehub (University of Toronto Mississauga/Brams, Montreal)

Abstract

Introduction: The interaction between a mother and her infant has been described as an
intricate ‘dance’ involving coordinated singing and movement. It is widely accepted that infantdirected (ID) singing is a universally observed caregiving behaviour used by mothers to change
and accommodate their infants’ emotional state (Trehub & Nakata, 2003). While ID singing is
more successful in modulating infants’ attention and arousal than maternal speech (Ghazban,
Russo, Trehub, Ein, Boudreau, 2012), the consequences of maternal soothing lullabies and lively
playful singing to regulate infants’ stress are less clear. The current study examined infants’
behavioural and physiological responses to their mothers’ soothing and lively singing following
an acute stressor induced by the mother’s still-neutral face.
Method: Thirty-seven 10-month-old infants participated. Using the Face-to-Face/Still-Face
(FFSF) procedure (Tronick et al., 1978), the mothers and infants engaged in a three stage
interaction: 1) Face-to-Face playtime; 2) Mother’s display of neutral still-face; and 3) the Reunion
phase (mothers either sang soothing lullabies or lively playful songs). Infants were subjected to
three repetitions each of soothing and lively singing for a total of six trials over a 30-minute
session. Behavioural responses were coded and Physiological responses (via Skin Conductance
Levels) were monitored.
Results: Infants’ visual fixation during maternal play songs (M= 12.45 sec) was significantly
greater than lullaby condition (M= 6.02 sec) [F(1,19) = 42.13, p < .001]. Infants maintained a
longer visual fixation with “suspended” motor activity during maternal lively play songs (M=
9.37 sec) than maternal soothing lullabies (M= 3.82 sec) [F(1,19) = 30.81, p < .001]. Physiological
analyses revealed that stress was effectively induced after the Play Phase via the Still-Face
Procedure [F(1,19)=15.32, p < .01]. Overall, Skin Conductance Levels during the Reunion Phases
were significantly lower during maternal play songs (M = .413 μΩ) than during lullaby
conditions (M = .927 μΩ) [F(1,19) = 5.30, p < .05] from 60-seconds into reunion.

 Discussion: This is the first study to directly compare the effects of maternal lullabies and
playful singing in regulating infants’ stress, and our findings indicate that playful singing
supports infants’ “homeostasis” and regulates their stress more effectively than soothing
lullabies. The pronounced reduction in motoric activity while visually fixated on the mother
during the lively playful condition is reflective of infants’ sustained attention, as well as the
relaxing outcomes of maternal singing, an observation consistent with Nakata and Trehub
(2004).These findings contrasted against mothers’ ID-speech further highlights the cohesive and
socializing function of maternal singing in regulating infants’ emotions.