Syntactic and non-syntactic sources of interference by music on language processing
Journal article
Fiveash, Anna, McArthur, Genevieve and Thompson, William Forde. (2018). Syntactic and non-syntactic sources of interference by music on language processing. Scientific Reports. 8(1), p. Article 17918. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-36076-x
Authors | Fiveash, Anna, McArthur, Genevieve and Thompson, William Forde |
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Abstract | Music and language are complex hierarchical systems in which individual elements are systematically combined to form larger, syntactic structures. Suggestions that music and language share syntactic processing resources have relied on evidence that syntactic violations in music interfere with syntactic processing in language. However, syntactic violations may affect auditory processing in non-syntactic ways, accounting for reported interference effects. To investigate the factors contributing to interference effects, we assessed recall of visually presented sentences and word-lists when accompanied by background auditory stimuli differing in syntactic structure and auditory distraction: melodies without violations, scrambled melodies, melodies that alternate in timbre, and environmental sounds. In Experiment 1, one-timbre melodies interfered with sentence recall, and increasing both syntactic complexity and distraction by scrambling melodies increased this interference. In contrast, three-timbre melodies reduced interference on sentence recall, presumably because alternating instruments interrupted auditory streaming, reducing pressure on long-distance syntactic structure building. Experiment 2 confirmed that participants were better at discriminating syntactically coherent one-timbre melodies than three-timbre melodies. Together, these results illustrate that syntactic processing and auditory streaming interact to influence sentence recall, providing implications for theories of shared syntactic processing and auditory distraction. |
Year | 2018 |
Journal | Scientific Reports |
Journal citation | 8 (1), p. Article 17918 |
Publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
ISSN | 2045-2322 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-36076-x |
PubMed ID | 30559400 |
Scopus EID | 2-s2.0-85058741885 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC6297162 |
Open access | Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access |
Page range | 1-15 |
Funder | Macquarie University |
Australian Research Council (ARC) | |
Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | 17 Dec 2018 |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 08 Nov 2018 |
Deposited | 11 Jul 2023 |
ARC Funded Research | This output has been funded, wholly or partially, under the Australian Research Council Act 2001 |
Grant ID | DP130101084 |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8z421/syntactic-and-non-syntactic-sources-of-interference-by-music-on-language-processing
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Publisher's version
OA_Fiveash_2018_Syntactic_and_non_syntactic_sources_of.pdf | |
License: CC BY 4.0 | |
File access level: Open |
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