Abstract
In recent research, a systematic association of musical pitch with space has been described in the so-called Spatial-Pitch-Association-of-Response Codes-effect (SPARC). Typically, high pitch is associated with upper/right and low pitch with lower/left space. However, a theoretical classification of these associations regarding their experiential sources is difficult. Therefore, we applied a theoretical framework of numerical cognition classifying similar Space-Associated Response Codes (SARC) effects according to their groundedness, embodiedness and situatedness. We tested these attributes with a group of non-musicians and with a group of highly skilled cello players playing high tones with lower hand positions (i.e., reverse SPARC alignment) in a standard SPARC context of a piano and a reversed SPARC context of a cello. The results showed that SPARC is grounded, in general. However, for cello player SPARC is also situated and embodied. We conclude that groundedness, embodiedness and situatedness provide general characteristics of mapping cognitive representations to space.
Highlights
Over the last years there has been accumulating evidence that sensorimotor representations are at the core of information processing
We applied a theoretical framework of numerical cognition classifying similar Space-Associated Response Codes (SARC) effects according to their groundedness, embodiedness and situatedness
The results showed that Spatial-Pitch-Association-of-Response Codes-effect (SPARC) is grounded, in general
Summary
Over the last years there has been accumulating evidence that sensorimotor representations are at the core of information processing. Conflicting response codes of both reference frames might cause the SPARC effect to be reduced or to vanish, but presumably not to be reversed (cf Wood, Nuerk, & Willmes, 2006, for an analog argument for the disappearance of SNARC for crossed hands) It is unclear if the specificity of this experience would generalize to SPARC, in the sense that the particular spatial representation of tones of the cello might become a characteristic of cello players, for example, when listening to music. In an instrumental context evoked by showing the picture of a piano together with playing piano tones, the learned reference frame of cello players would not become active This would result in a SPARC effect similar to that shown by non-musicians.
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