Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research Vol.42 880-894 August 1999.
© American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
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The Integration of Laughter and Speech in Vocal Communication

A Dynamic Systems Perspective

Eva E. Nwokah 1
Hui-Chin Hsu 2
Patricia Davies 3

Alan Fogel 4
1 Richardson Development Center for Children Dallas, TX
2 Department of Child and Family Development University of Georgia Athens
3 School of Mechanical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette, IN
4 Department of Psychology University of Utah Salt Lake City

enwokah{at}aol.com

Laughter in infant-directed speech was examined in 13 mother-infant pairs to investigate the possible co-occurrence of speech and laughter. Contrary to previous findings in adult-adult social interaction, all mothers produced speech simultaneously with laughter in up to 50% of laughs. In most of these speech-laughs the onset of laugh and speech was simultaneous. Laughter occurred on both function and content words and was more likely to occur on approximately 2 words and on utterances that were statements rather than questions or exclamations. Laughter and speech are different outcomes produced from a reorganization of the same vocal/anatomical parameters. A 3rd outcome is possible in the form of speech-laughs utilizing features from both laughter and speech. In speech-laughs, the duration of the vocalization was more likely to increase, and the changes in the utterance were likely to include 1 or more of the features of vowel elongation, syllabic pulsation, breathiness, and pitch change. These findings and individual variations in the resulting vocal output are discussed from a dynamic systems perspective. It is argued that neither speech nor laughter is dominant when both are combined, but that this is a more complex vocal outcome produced with idiosyncratic flexibility within stable temporal and physiological constraints.

KEY WORDS: laughter, speech, child-directed speech, dynamic systems, mothers' laughter

Submitted on November 30, 1998
Accepted on March 9, 1999


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