Featured Publications
Infants relax in response to unfamiliar foreign lullabies
Bainbridge C, Bertolo M, Youngers J, Atwood S, Yurdum L, Simson J, Lopez K, Xing F, Martin A, Mehr S. Infants relax in response to unfamiliar foreign lullabies. Nature Human Behaviour 2020, 5: 256-264. PMID: 33077883, PMCID: PMC8220405, DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-00963-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMusical experienceMusical featuresListener experienceLullabiesAcoustic formForeign societiesFussy infantAdult listenersHuman mindDifferent culturesElectrodermal activitySongsBehavioral functionsInfant's parentsExperienceParentsMusicListenersPupillometryCultureInfantsMindFirst yearSocietyUS infantsLanguage experience predicts music processing in a half-million speakers of fifty-four languages
Liu J, Hilton C, Bergelson E, Mehr S. Language experience predicts music processing in a half-million speakers of fifty-four languages. Current Biology 2023, 33: 1916-1925.e4. PMID: 37105166, PMCID: PMC10306420, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.067.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNon-tonal languagesNative speakersTonal languageTonal language speakersUse of pitchMusic perception skillsLanguage speakersLinguistic experienceDiverse languagesLanguage experienceLinguistic pitchPerception of pitchCultural differencesSpeakersLanguageLifelong experienceMusic perceptionMusic trainingPerception skillsMusic processingMusical beatAuditory processingMusical melodiesHuman mindMusic lessons
2023
Children Infer the Behavioral Contexts of Unfamiliar Foreign Songs
Hilton C, Thierry L, Yan R, Martin A, Mehr S. Children Infer the Behavioral Contexts of Unfamiliar Foreign Songs. Journal Of Experimental Psychology General 2023, 152: 839-850. PMID: 36222671, PMCID: PMC10083193, DOI: 10.1037/xge0001289.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBehavioral contextExperience of musicExtensive musical experienceMusic functionsMusical experienceMusical formMusical idiomMusical exposureSame songForeign songsEffect of experienceMusicWorld cultureAcoustical featuresKorean listenersBroader cultureChildren's inferencesSongsLullabiesHuman mindForeign languageUniversal linkOnline experimentSuch inferencesLarge sample