Featured Publications
Acoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures
Hilton C, Moser C, Bertolo M, Lee-Rubin H, Amir D, Bainbridge C, Simson J, Knox D, Glowacki L, Alemu E, Galbarczyk A, Jasienska G, Ross C, Neff M, Martin A, Cirelli L, Trehub S, Song J, Kim M, Schachner A, Vardy T, Atkinson Q, Salenius A, Andelin J, Antfolk J, Madhivanan P, Siddaiah A, Placek C, Salali G, Keestra S, Singh M, Collins S, Patton J, Scaff C, Stieglitz J, Cutipa S, Moya C, Sagar R, Anyawire M, Mabulla A, Wood B, Krasnow M, Mehr S. Acoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures. Nature Human Behaviour 2022, 6: 1545-1556. PMID: 35851843, PMCID: PMC10101735, DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01410-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAcoustic featuresAdult-directed speechInfant-directed speechEnglish language websitesRecordings of infantsLinguistic relatednessAcoustic regularitiesListeners' sensitivityHuman communicationPsychological functionsAcoustic differencesSmall-scale societiesSongsSpeechAcoustic profilesCultureVocalizationsCommunicationLanguagePeopleListenersVocalizerMusicSocietyCommon set
2024
Spectro-temporal acoustical markers differentiate speech from song across cultures
Albouy P, Mehr S, Hoyer R, Ginzburg J, Du Y, Zatorre R. Spectro-temporal acoustical markers differentiate speech from song across cultures. Nature Communications 2024, 15: 4835. PMID: 38844457, PMCID: PMC11156671, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49040-3.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
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
2021
The ability to predict actions of others from distributed cues is still developing in 6- to 8-year-old children
McMahon E, Kim D, Mehr S, Nakayama K, Spelke E, Vaziri-Pashkam M. The ability to predict actions of others from distributed cues is still developing in 6- to 8-year-old children. Journal Of Vision 2021, 21: 14-14. PMID: 34003244, PMCID: PMC8131995, DOI: 10.1167/jov.21.5.14.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2020
Does greater morning sickness predict carrying a girl? Analysis of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy from retrospective report
Young N, La Rosa M, Mehr S, Krasnow M. Does greater morning sickness predict carrying a girl? Analysis of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy from retrospective report. Archives Of Gynecology And Obstetrics 2020, 303: 1161-1166. PMID: 33098451, DOI: 10.1007/s00404-020-05839-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFetal sexMaternal ageFemale fetusesSignificant independent predictorsFemale fetal sexPurposeThe prevalenceSevere nauseaIndependent predictorsInternational web-based surveyFirst trimesterInclusion criteriaMorning sicknessSevere formNauseaPregnancyMale fetusesGeographic cohortWeb-based surveyParity statusFive hundredFetusesSelf-reported dataVomitingSexHigh frequency
2018
Sight-over-sound judgments of music performances are replicable effects with limited interpretability
Mehr S, Scannell D, Winner E. Sight-over-sound judgments of music performances are replicable effects with limited interpretability. PLOS ONE 2018, 13: e0202075. PMID: 30183719, PMCID: PMC6124715, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202075.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMusic performanceListener judgmentsPerformance qualityForced-choice taskMusical expressivityTheatrical flairSound effectsReplicable effectsVisual informationActual judgmentsOpposite patternListenersJudgmentsSoundLimited interpretabilityVideoSightMusicMusiciansPerformersDifferent videosAudienceSound judgmentAudioExpressivityForm and Function in Human Song
Mehr S, Singh M, York H, Glowacki L, Krasnow M. Form and Function in Human Song. Current Biology 2018, 28: 356-368.e5. PMID: 29395919, PMCID: PMC5805477, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.042.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsVocal musicMusical featuresSong functionsFunction ratingsDance songsHuman songSong formLove songsBrief excerptsParticipants' unfamiliarityPseudorandom sampleForm-function relationsSongsMusicExcerptsSmall-scale societiesSocial functionUniversal linkContextual featuresInternet usersActual functionExperiment 1DanceLullabiesListeners
2017
Genomic Imprinting Is Implicated in the Psychology of Music
Mehr S, Kotler J, Howard R, Haig D, Krasnow M. Genomic Imprinting Is Implicated in the Psychology of Music. Psychological Science 2017, 28: 1455-1467. PMID: 28857689, DOI: 10.1177/0956797617711456.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychology of musicMusic listeningInfant-directed songPitch discrimination abilitiesMusical phenotypesPerceptual sensitivityMusicSpecific deficitsParents' attentionHuman infantsListeningPsychologyInvestment demandSongsAttentionPrader-Willi syndromePeopleUnusual responseDeficitsExaggerationChildrenGreater reductionAdultsHistoryDisordersShared musical knowledge in 11‐month‐old infants
Mehr S, Spelke E. Shared musical knowledge in 11‐month‐old infants. Developmental Science 2017, 21 PMID: 28229502, DOI: 10.1111/desc.12542.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMusical toysVisual attentionSocial informationTypes of musicInfant visual attentionFive-month-old infantsSocial responsesMusical knowledgePlay songsFamiliar songsParental singingInfant listenersMusicSong exposureSongsPsychological functionsNovel peopleInfants' responsesSocial meaningContemporary environmentSocial preferencesSocial playMelodySingersSinging