Show Notes
Sometimes a child is looking right at you and seems completely elsewhere, and sometimes they're completely with you. Developmental neuroscientist Vicky Leong studies those moments of connection, uncovering how parents and children synchronize their minds and get ready to learn from one another.
Shownotes:
Victoria Leong – Publications (link) Leong et al. (2017), Speaker gaze increases information coupling between infant and adult brains (link) Natural Pedagogy Theory – Gergely & Csibra (link) Early Childhood Matters
Shownotes 2:
Vicky’s Speaker Gaze Increases Information Coupling Between Infant and Adult Brains is the landmark study demonstrating that eye contact increases neural synchrony between adults and infants, one of the central findings discussed in this episode. Natural Pedagogy Theory by Gergely & Csibra is a foundational theory proposing that humans are uniquely adapted to teach and learn through social signals such as eye contact, infant-directed speech and shared attention. Browse Vicky Leong's research on parent–infant synchrony, learning and early brain development. This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Birth of a Parent
Most species don't have grandparents. Humans do. Why? In this final episode of season one, developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik explores a strange feature of human evolution, and what it reveals about childhood, caregiving, and why raising children was never meant to be a job for parents alone.
Parenthood may be one of the biggest transformations in human life. So why are there so few stories about it? Franklin Leonard, founder of The Black List, has spent his career identifying overlooked stories. In this conversation, he helps us think about one of the biggest stories we may still be struggling to tell.
For much of history, becoming a father came with a script. Today, many of those expectations have disappeared. Richard Reeves explores what happens when old ideas about manhood no longer fit, and why fatherhood may be one of the places where a new script is still being written.
Why do children make ordinary things feel extraordinary again? Writer and On Being host Krista Tippett reflects on how becoming a mother transformed the way she sees the world, and why wonder may be one of parenthood's most overlooked gifts.
Before children, a city is something you move through. After children, it's something you start to see. Ecological engineer Nadina Galle explores how parenthood reshapes our relationship with nature—and why even a blade of grass can begin to matter.