Beat Perception and Sociability: Evidence from Williams Syndrome.

TitleBeat Perception and Sociability: Evidence from Williams Syndrome.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2016
AuthorsLense MD, Dykens EM
JournalFront Psychol
Volume7
Pagination886
Date Published2016
ISSN1664-1078
Abstract

Beat perception in music has been proposed to be a human universal that may have its origins in adaptive processes involving temporal entrainment such as social communication and interaction. We examined beat perception skills in individuals with Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic, neurodevelopmental disorder. Musical interest and hypersociability are two prominent aspects of the WS phenotype although actual musical and social skills are variable. On a group level, beat and meter perception skills were poorer in WS than in age-matched peers though there was significant individual variability. Cognitive ability, sound processing style, and musical training predicted beat and meter perception performance in WS. Moreover, we found significant relationships between beat and meter perception and adaptive communication and socialization skills in WS. Results have implications for understanding the role of predictive timing in both music and social interactions in the general population, and suggest music as a promising avenue for addressing social communication difficulties in WS.

DOI10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00886
Alternate JournalFront Psychol
PubMed ID27378982
PubMed Central IDPMC4913095
Grant ListP30 HD015052 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
U54 HD083211 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States