Dichotic perception and laterality in neonates

Author(s): Morais, J., Bijeljac Babic, R., McAdams, S., Peretz, I., Mehler, J.

Journal/Book: Brain Lang. 1989; 37: 591-605.

Abstract: Groups of 4-day-old neonates were tested for dichotic discrimination and ear differences with the High-Amplitude-Sucking procedure. In the first experiment, dichotic speech discrimination was attested by comparison with a control group. Furthermore, among those subjects who showed a substantial recovery of sucking response at least after one of the two syllable changes, it was observed that significantly more subjects manifested a stronger reaction to a right-ear change than to a left-ear change. In the second experiment, 4-day-old neonates were tested on syllable and music timbre discrimination. The significant Stimulus Type x Ear interaction observed suggests perceptual asymmetries indicative of very precocious brain specialization.

Note: Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique CNRS Paris.

Keyword(s): Habituation Psychophysiology; Music ; Sucking Behavior Arousal ; Dichotic Listening Tests; Dominance, Cerebral; Hearing Tests; Infant, Newborn psychology; Phonetics ; Speech Perception Human; Support, Non U.S. Gov't

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