Doctoral Dissertation Research: Crosslinguistic Perception of Pitch in Language and Music

本文通过考察语言和音乐对音高的感知，探讨母语和音乐素养如何影响听觉感知。核心假设是基于学习的逆向层次理论，其中感官体验调节大脑区域，为解决复杂的感知任务提供更好的信息。这种调整可以导致由共同大脑区域连接的领域之间的交叉。具体的建议是，具有词汇音调（包括音高作为单词的重要组成部分）的语言具有音乐旋律的特性。因此，声调语言者有望表现出更好的旋律感知，而音乐家则有望表现出更好的音调感知。三个实验探讨了这些问题。第一项研究比较了母语为汉语、约鲁巴语（声调语言）和英语（非声调语言）的人在标准化音乐感知测试中的表现，测量了对旋律的几种特性的辨别能力。预计说声调语言的人只会在与词汇声调相同的旋律属性上胜过说英语的人，而说普通话的人只会在普通话特有的属性上胜过说约鲁巴语的人。第二，以英语为母语的汉语学习者参加同样的测试。预计经过语言训练后，与学习非声调语言的学生相比，他们在旋律感知方面的改善与母语人士相似。第三，对接受音乐训练的学生进行普通话声调感知测试。我们期望这样的音乐训练可以在没有语言训练的情况下提高对词汇音调的感知。也就是说，音乐训练应该增强与词汇音调共享的旋律特性。这些结果将为语言和音乐之间的认知关系以及在发育和成年期间感官体验的影响提供见解。因此，它们将直接关系到认知模块化和语言和音乐训练的问题。这个奖项也将有助于培养有前途的语言学家。

This dissertation investigates how one's native language and degree of musicianship shape auditory perception by examining the perception of pitch in language and music. The central hypotheses are based on the Reverse Hierarchy Theory of learning, in which sensory experiences tune brain areas to provide better information for solving complex perceptual tasks. This tuning can lead to crossover between domains which are united by common brain areas. The specific proposal is that languages with lexical tone (the inclusion of pitch as an important component of words) share properties of musical melodies. Thus, tone language speakers are expected to show better melody perception, and musicians to show better tone perception.Three experiments investigate these issues. The first compares native speakers of Mandarin Chinese, Yoruba (tone languages), and English (nontone language) on a standardized music perception test, measuring discrimination of several properties of melody. It is expected that tone language speakers will outperform English speakers only on those melodic properties shared with lexical tone, and that Mandarin speakers will outperform Yoruba speakers only on those properties which are unique to Mandarin. Second, English-speaking learners of Mandarin participate in the same test. It is expected that after linguistic training, they will show improvement in melody perception similar to native speakers, compared to students learning nontone languages. Third, students taking musical training are tested on their perception of Mandarin tones. It is expected that such musical training will lead to improved perception of lexical tones even without linguistic training. That is, music training should enhance melodic properties shared with lexical tone. These results will provide insight into the cognitive relationship between language and music and the influence of sensory experience during development and adulthood. Thus, they will bear directly on issues of cognitive modularity and language and music training. This award will also enhance the training of a promising linguistic scholar.