The Neural Basis of Individual Holistic and Spectral Sound Perception

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4886360
AutoresPeter Schneider (0000-0002-1920-0438), Martina Wengenroth
Año2009
Volumen28
Número3
Páginas315-328
Fecha de publicación2009-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaContemporary Music Review (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0749-4467 • E-ISSN: 1477-2256
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/07494460903404402
OpenAlexW1997360112
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas56

With respect to enormous inter-individual differences in sound perception, this article aims to review the research background of the neural basis of individual sound perception. Principally, two basic listening types can be distinguished: 'holistic' or 'synthetic' listeners recognize the sound as a whole, and appreciate its pitch and timbre as characteristic qualities of the entire sound; and 'spectral' or 'analytical' listeners break up the sound into its harmonic constituents, at the expense of timbral qualities of the sound as a whole. In-between these two extreme listening modes, intermediate listeners perceive holistic and spectral cues simultaneously to varying degrees (auditory ambiguity). Several recent neurological investigations have pinpointed these perceptual differences to neuroanatomical and neurophysiological measures of the auditory cortex. Furthermore, it has been shown that individual auditory perception bias corresponds to musical instrument preference and musical performance style. Multimodal research findings point towards an individual 'fingerprint' of auditory cortex and perception profiles; however, whether these properties are shaped by intense training or rather reflect innate, genetically determined predisposition remains a matter of unresolved debate. Keywords: Interindividual VariabilitySound PerceptionPitchTimbreHeschl's Gyrus Acknowledgements We would like to thank Maria Blatow (Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Germany), Dorte Engelmann (University of Church Music, Heidelberg, Germany), Doris Geller and Renate Schneider (University of Music and Performing Arts, Mannheim, Germany), Annemarie Seither-Preisler (Institute of Psychology, CSS, University of Graz, Austria) and Elke Hofmann (Music Academy Basel, Switzerland) for valuable comments on the manuscript

Acoustics · Active listening · Art · Auditory cortex · Cognitive psychology · Cognitive science · Music psychology · Musical · Musicology · Perception · Sound perception · Timbre · Visual arts · Communication · Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation · Multisensory perception and integration · Neuroscience · Neuroscience and Music Perception · Psychology