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Communication is a two-way street, even if you're talking to a four-month-old

A new study from Western Sydney University reveals that even from a very young age—as early as 4-months-old—babies are active participants in "conversations" with their parents.

The findings suggest that when parents engage in reciprocal communication with their baby, they lay the groundwork for the infants' linguistic, cognitive and social development.

Released by the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behavior and Development, the research looked at how infants' temperament, the precursor of personality, influences parent–child interactions.

Lead author of the study in Infancy, Dr. Antonia Goetz, said that from an early age babies are already using their individuality to shape communication.

"We often focus on how much and how well parents talk to their babies—using that sing-song voice, saying lots of words, and having frequent interactions. And yes, that kind of baby talk is important, but communication is a two-way street, and babies may play a bigger role than we thought," said Dr. Goetz.

"We know that it is important to start building language skills in early childhood as it not only helps with the baby's cognitive development, but also their social and emotional skills.

"Social interaction and conversations are the cornerstone of human relationships, enabling the exchange of information, ideas, and emotions among individuals."

Using small recording devices (the LENA system) to monitor a sequence of dynamic and reciprocal communicative exchanges, researchers tracked how many words adults used, how often they used baby-directed speech, and how many back-and-forth exchanges they had with their babies.

During these exchanges, infants not only responded to the vocalizations of the caregiver but also initiated their own vocalizations.

"For parents, this means that tuning in to your baby's cues is just as important as you talking to them. You don't need to count words or worry about being perfect—what matters most is being responsive. Pause, wait for your baby to make a sound or movement, then respond."

"These simple turn-taking moments help build your child's social and communication skills.

"In short, follow your baby's lead. Whether they're quiet or restless, every baby has their own way of inviting interaction. By staying responsive and engaged, you're helping to support their growth and development—one 'conversation' at a time."

Interestingly, introverted babies, and those with lower attention spans, had more back and forth with adults.

"This shows us that even babies bring their own personal flair to conversations and influence the dynamics of an interaction, just like we do later in life."

"This might be because introverted babies prefer calmer, shorter exchanges—which naturally leads to more turns. While babies who struggle to focus may invite more interaction because they're more unpredictable or expressive in ways that catch adults' attention.

"So, while the number of words parents use matters, it's the rhythm and flow of the interaction—the back-and-forth—that seems to be shaped by the baby's personality."

The research forms part of a longitudinal study tracking 35 babies from 3 to 18 months of age.