Calling infants by their names helps guide their attention during conversation. Infants are sensitive to their names by four months of age. Infants' electroencephalogram (EEG) was measured as they heard their name or stranger's names and while looking at novel objects. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in response to names revealed that infants differentiate their name from strangers' names from the first phoneme. The amplitude of the ERPs to objects indicated that infants attended more to objects after hearing their names compared to another name. Thus, by five months, infants detect their names and use their names as a social cue to guide their attention to events and objects in the world.

Studies show that children can focus on what adults are talking about and hear the language used around them from infancy.

Parents’ immediate and attuned responses signal to babies that their communications are important and effective. This will encourage them to continue to develop the skills to communicate with people.