Rhythm and syntax processing in school-age children.

TitleRhythm and syntax processing in school-age children.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsLee YS, Ahn S, Holt RFrush, E Schellenberg G
JournalDev Psychol
Date Published2020 Jul 23
ISSN1939-0599
Abstract

Scholars debate whether musical and linguistic abilities are associated or independent. In the present study, we examined whether musical rhythm skills predict receptive grammar proficiency in childhood. In Experiment 1, 7- to 17-year-old children ( = 68) were tested on their grammar and rhythm abilities. In the grammar-comprehension task, children heard short sentences with subject-relative (e.g., "Boys are nice") or object-relative (e.g., "Boys are nice") clauses, and determined the gender of the individual performing the action. In the rhythm-discrimination test, children heard two short rhythmic sequences on each trial and decided if they were the same or different. Children with better performance on the rhythm task exhibited higher scores on the grammar test, even after holding constant age, gender, music training, and maternal education. In Experiment 2, we replicated this finding with another group of same-age children ( = 96) while further controlling for working memory. Our data reveal, for the first time, an association between receptive grammar and rhythm perception in typically developing children. This finding is consistent with the view that music and language share neural resources for rule-based temporal processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

DOI10.1037/dev0000969
Alternate JournalDev Psychol
PubMed ID32700950