London - If a lullaby or whispered sweet nothings help get a baby to sleep, that is more than enough for most parents.
But it seems a few gentle words could deliver another benefit: a better memory for infants.
A study has concluded that babies are much more likely to remember something if it is associated with a positive emotion.
American researchers showed babies a person on screen speaking in either a happy, neutral or angry voice, then displayed geometric shapes.
In follow-up memory tests, they performed significantly better at recalling shapes that were associated with positive voices.
Professor Ross Flom, who led the study at Brigham Young University in Utah, said the positive effect could heighten babies’ attention and ability to process patterns.
The study is published in the journal Infant Behaviour and Development. - Daily Mail