Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between vocal pitch discrimination abilities and vocal responses to auditory pitch-shifts. Twenty children (6.6–11.7 years) and twenty adults (18–28 years) completed a listening task to determine auditory discrimination abilities to vocal fundamental frequency (fo) as well as two vocalization tasks in which their perceived fo was modulated in real-time. These pitch-shifts were either unexpected, providing information on auditory feedback control, or sustained, providing information on sensorimotor adaptation. Children were subdivided into two groups based on their auditory pitch discrimination abilities; children within two standard deviations of the adult group were classified as having adult-like discrimination abilities (N = 11), whereas children outside of this range were classified as having less sensitive discrimination abilities than adults (N = 9). Children with less sensitive auditory pitch discrimination abilities had significantly larger vocal response magnitudes to unexpected pitch-shifts and significantly smaller vocal response magnitudes to sustained pitch-shifts. Children with less sensitive auditory pitch discrimination abilities may rely more on auditory feedback and thus may be less adept at updating their stored motor programs.
Highlights
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between vocal pitch discrimination abilities and vocal responses to auditory pitch-shifts
Current models of vocal motor control posit that mature vocal motor control is likely maintained by a combination of auditory feedback, somatosensory feedback, and a forward control system that is based on previously-learned stored motor programs[9,10,11,12]
The DIVA model is primarily designed for speech motor control, yet ample behavioral work suggests that similar control systems are involved in vocal motor control [e.g.6–8,15–29]
Summary
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between vocal pitch discrimination abilities and vocal responses to auditory pitch-shifts. Twenty children (6.6–11.7 years) and twenty adults (18–28 years) completed a listening task to determine auditory discrimination abilities to vocal fundamental frequency (fo) as well as two vocalization tasks in which their perceived fo was modulated in real-time These pitch-shifts were either unexpected, providing information on auditory feedback control, or sustained, providing information on sensorimotor adaptation. Examination of sensorimotor adaptation in adults shows variable magnitudes of vocal responses to sustained pitch-shifts [e.g.21–23,28,29,31,32] This variability may indicate that, even in the mature system, there is variation in the weightings of the sensory feedback and forward control systems or differing abilities to integrate feedback commands into the stored motor program
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