TY - JOUR
T1 - Musicians and non-musicians' different reliance of features in consonance perception
T2 - A behavioral and ERP study
AU - Kung, Chun Chia
AU - Hsieh, Tsung Hao
AU - Liou, Jen Yu
AU - Lin, Kuei Ju
AU - Shaw, Fu Zen
AU - Liang, Sheng Fu
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the National Science Council of Taiwan (Contract Nos. NSC102-2420-H-006-008 for C.C.K., NSC100-2420-H-012-071-MY3 to F.Z.S., as well as NSC 95-2221-E-009-193-MY2 and NSC 102-2220-E-006-001 to S.F.L.), and the funding support from the Headquarters of University Advancement at the National Cheng Kung University (sponsored by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan).
PY - 2014/5
Y1 - 2014/5
N2 - Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the different features that musicians and non-musicians rely upon when they discern consonant and dissonant intervals. Previous studies have addressed this issue from the perspective of either the frequency ratio (Western music theory) or the frequency difference (psychoacoustics), but have not considered both features in a single and balanced study. Methods: Twelve musicians and twelve non-musicians judged musical consonance at various 50-500. Hz intervals, orthogonally selected from across the "pitch interval" and "roughness" spectrum. Both behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) data were collected separately. Results: Behavioral results demonstrated that while musicians relied upon pitch intervals (between perfect fifths and tritones, with 95% accuracy), non-musicians performed around chance. The latter performance could, however, be sub-divided into "rough tritone and non-rough perfect-fifth" (70-80%) and "non-rough tritone and rough perfect-fifth" combinations (25-30%), suggesting non-musicians' reliance on the roughness dimension. ERP components revealed corresponding P2 (200-250. ms) amplitude differences in the Fz and Cz channels for the "tritones vs. perfect fifths" comparison in musicians, and by the "rough vs. non-rough" comparison in the non-musicians. In addition, N1 (~100. ms) and N2 (300-400. ms) components also revealed difference in Fz, F3, F4, FCz, Cz and CPz electrodes for "tritones vs. perfect fifths" in musicians. In the non-musicians, a stronger negative N2 for rough than for non-rough stimuli was found at F4 and Cz. Conclusion: Together, these results suggest that musicians and non-musicians rely upon pitch intervals and sensory roughness, respectively, for consonance/dissonance perception. Significance: To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare independently across the pitch interval and roughness spectrum. Our results further support the brain plasticity as a result of musical training in consonance perception.
AB - Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the different features that musicians and non-musicians rely upon when they discern consonant and dissonant intervals. Previous studies have addressed this issue from the perspective of either the frequency ratio (Western music theory) or the frequency difference (psychoacoustics), but have not considered both features in a single and balanced study. Methods: Twelve musicians and twelve non-musicians judged musical consonance at various 50-500. Hz intervals, orthogonally selected from across the "pitch interval" and "roughness" spectrum. Both behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) data were collected separately. Results: Behavioral results demonstrated that while musicians relied upon pitch intervals (between perfect fifths and tritones, with 95% accuracy), non-musicians performed around chance. The latter performance could, however, be sub-divided into "rough tritone and non-rough perfect-fifth" (70-80%) and "non-rough tritone and rough perfect-fifth" combinations (25-30%), suggesting non-musicians' reliance on the roughness dimension. ERP components revealed corresponding P2 (200-250. ms) amplitude differences in the Fz and Cz channels for the "tritones vs. perfect fifths" comparison in musicians, and by the "rough vs. non-rough" comparison in the non-musicians. In addition, N1 (~100. ms) and N2 (300-400. ms) components also revealed difference in Fz, F3, F4, FCz, Cz and CPz electrodes for "tritones vs. perfect fifths" in musicians. In the non-musicians, a stronger negative N2 for rough than for non-rough stimuli was found at F4 and Cz. Conclusion: Together, these results suggest that musicians and non-musicians rely upon pitch intervals and sensory roughness, respectively, for consonance/dissonance perception. Significance: To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare independently across the pitch interval and roughness spectrum. Our results further support the brain plasticity as a result of musical training in consonance perception.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.clinph.2013.10.016
DO - 10.1016/j.clinph.2013.10.016
M3 - Article
C2 - 24252396
AN - SCOPUS:84897569054
SN - 1388-2457
VL - 125
SP - 971
EP - 978
JO - Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology - Electromyography and Motor Control
JF - Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology - Electromyography and Motor Control
IS - 5
ER -