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Baby talk may not be so nonsensical after all. Research reported by Science Daily has shown that regardless of what kinds of words are spoken, adults are aware of the intent they are communicating, whether consciously or subconsciously. The term "infant-directed speech" was coined to refer to the ways in which adults speak more loudly to gain attention from the child or the times in which they speak slowly to ensure effective communication.

Greg Bryant and Clark Barrett, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, set up a study to test whether "the relationships between sounds and intentions are universal." They proposed that the ...