Rhythm and melody as social signals for infants

Laura K Cirelli; Sandra E Trehub; Laurel J Trainor

doi:10.1111/nyas.13580

Rhythm and melody as social signals for infants

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2018 Mar 7. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13580. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Laura K Cirelli¹, Sandra E Trehub¹, Laurel J Trainor^{2

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
² Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
³ McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

PMID: 29512877
DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13580

Abstract

Infants typically experience music through social interactions with others. One such experience involves caregivers singing to infants while holding and bouncing them rhythmically. These highly social interactions shape infant music perception and may also influence social cognition and behavior. Moving in time with others-interpersonal synchrony-can direct infants' social preferences and prosocial behavior. Infants also show social preferences and selective prosociality toward singers of familiar, socially learned melodies. Here, we discuss recent studies of the influence of musical engagement on infant social cognition and behavior, highlighting the importance of rhythmic movement and socially relevant melodies.

Keywords: infants; music; singing; social development; synchrony.

Publication types

Review