title: Tuning in to musical rhythms: infants learn more readily than adults.
abstract: Domain-general tuning processes may guide the acquisition of perceptual knowledge in infancy. Here, we demonstrate that 12-month-old infants show an adult-like, culture-specific pattern of responding to musical rhythms, in contrast to the culture-general responding that is evident at 6 months of age. Nevertheless, brief exposure to foreign music enables 12-month-olds, but not adults, to perceive rhythmic distinctions in foreign musical contexts. These findings may indicate a sensitive period early in life for acquiring rhythm in particular or socially and biologically important structures more generally.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. ehannon@fas.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Erin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Hannon
authors.forename: Sandra E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Trehub
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009146:Music / Q000523:psychology*; D010507:Periodicity