Beat processing in newborn infants cannot be explained by statistical learning based on transition probabilities

Cognition, vol. 243, pp. 105670

Abstract

Newborn infants have been shown to extract temporal regularities from sound sequences, both in the form of learning regular sequential properties, and extracting periodicity in the input, commonly referred to as a regular pulse or the 'beat'. However, these two types of regularities are often indistinguishable in isochronous sequences, as both statistical learning and beat perception can be elicited by the regular alternation of accented and unaccented sounds. Here, we manipulated the isochrony of sound sequences in order to disentangle statistical learning from beat perception in sleeping newborn infants in an EEG experiment, as previously done in adults and macaque monkeys. We used a binary accented sequence that induces a beat when presented with isochronous timing, but not when presented with randomly jittered timing. We compared mismatch responses to infrequent deviants falling on either accented or unaccented (i.e., odd and even) positions. Results showed a clear difference between metrical positions in the isochronous sequence, but not in the equivalent jittered sequence. This suggests that beat processing is present in newborns. Despite previous evidence for statistical learning in newborns the effects of this ability were not detected in the jittered condition. These results show that statistical learning by itself does not fully explain beat processing in newborn infants.

Authors 4

1. Gábor P. Háden corresponding

   Budapest University of Technology and Economics · Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology · HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; Department of Telecommunications and Media Informatics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117 Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: haden.gabor@ttk.hu

   Department of Telecommunications and Media Informatics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117 Budapest, Hungary

   Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary

2. Fleur L. Bouwer Aachen Cognitive Psychology Unit Institute of Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition

   Leiden University · University of Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Music Cognition Group, Institute for Logic, Language, and Computation, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94242, 1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15900, 1001 NK Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15900, 1001 NK Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, 2333 AK Leiden, the Netherlands. Electronic address: f.l.bouwer@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

   Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, 2333 AK Leiden, the Netherlands

   Department of Psychology, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15900, 1001 NK Amsterdam, the Netherlands

   Music Cognition Group, Institute for Logic, Language, and Computation, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94242, 1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands

   msterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15900, 1001 NK Amsterdam, the Netherlands

3. Henkjan Honing

   University of Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Music Cognition Group, Institute for Logic, Language, and Computation, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94242, 1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15900, 1001 NK Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: honing@uva.nl

   Music Cognition Group, Institute for Logic, Language, and Computation, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94242, 1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands

   msterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15900, 1001 NK Amsterdam, the Netherlands

4. István Winkler

   Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology · HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: winkler.istvan@ttk.hu

   Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary