The Impact of Music Learning on Language Prosodic Processing and Its Underlying Mechanisms

Zhang Jingjing; Xue Yanan; Feng Yin; Gao Panke; Chen Qingrong

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240103

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Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2024, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (1) : 21-27. DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240103

General Psychology, Experimental Psychology & Ergonomics

The Impact of Music Learning on Language Prosodic Processing and Its Underlying Mechanisms

Zhang Jingjing, Xue Yanan, Feng Yin, Gao Panke, Chen Qingrong

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Abstract

Music and language, as two primary communication systems of humans, share similarities in terms of acoustic elements and structural organization. Empirical research has shown that cognitive and neural mechanisms are shared in the processing of music and language. Among the different components of language, prosody and music are most closely related, both of which can convey meaning and express emotion through acoustic cues such as pitch, duration, and intensity. Therefore, exploring whether and how music learning affects prosodic processing has attracted many researchers. The question is significant because it may offer a unique window to reveal the relationship between music and language.
The current study discusses the effects of music learning on language prosodic processing in different groups from two aspects: speech prosody and emotional prosody. For normal populations, using behavioral and neurophysiological techniques, a considerable number of studies have found that music learning enhances the processing of different aspects of speech prosody, such as intonation, tone, and accent. In addition, these effects are not affected by age or language familiarity. Music learning also facilitates both early and late stages of the processing of emotional prosody, particularly the extraction of sensory information from acoustical cues, and the evaluation of the emotional significance of acoustic signal.
For people with prosodic processing disorders, some longitudinal studies have found that music learning enhances speech prosodic processing (e.g., intonation and tone) in both Cochlear Implantation (CI) and Williams syndrome (WS) groups. However, the results are not consistent across studies, which may be due to the severity of the disorder and differences in the timing and learning style of music learning. In addition, the existing research is mainly limited to the above two special groups, so the research subjects need to be expanded. There is also a lack of research on the cognitive and neural mechanisms of the relationship between musical learning and prosodic processing in these populations. Nonetheless, the discovery of the positive effect of music learning has shed light on people with language disorders, and provided a new way for speech rehabilitation.
Moreover, this paper explores the mechanisms underlying the influence of music learning on language prosodic processing. Researchers have attempted to explain the effect using two possible perspectives. One view suggests that music learning facilitates the processing of language prosody through promoting general auditory processing of acoustic cues, such as pitch and intensity. The other view believes that, apart from the strengthened auditory processing, enhancement in general cognitive abilities is also a possible mechanism. Empirical studies have provided evidence for the first view, showing that musical learning enhances the encoding of prosodic information in brainstem and cortex, but the second view remains to be tested.
Based on previous studies, three questions for future research are proposed. Firstly, the impact of music learning on prosodic processing and its underlying mechanisms needs to be further explored. Specifically, how music learning works when different prosodic features interact or when prosody interacts with other language components such as semantics and syntax remain unknown. The cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying the observed prosody benefits of music learning need further research. Secondly, factors that may influence music learning on prosodic processing should be explored in future research, such as music learning style and learning time. More importantly, whether there is a critical period for the promotion of music learning to language prosodic processing and whether different prosodic features have different critical periods are still unclear. Lastly, the influence of music experience on language prosodic processing really comes from music learning, or the innate musical ability also plays an important part? Studies comparing musicians with non-musician as well as existing longitudinal studies confounded the effects of the two factors, which need to be clarified in future studies.

Key words

music learning / speech prosody / emotional prosody / influence mechanisms

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Zhang Jingjing, Xue Yanan, Feng Yin, Gao Panke, Chen Qingrong. The Impact of Music Learning on Language Prosodic Processing and Its Underlying Mechanisms[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2024, 47(1): 21-27 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240103

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