Newborns' preference for female voices as a function of spectral composition
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Melanie Jean Spence (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Anthony J. DeCasper
Abstract: Research with human fetuses and neonates has demonstrated that last trimester fetuses can hear in utero and that neonates prefer auditory stimuli which are experienced prenatally to novel auditory stimuli. This study was conducted to determine if prenatal experience with the lower frequencies of the maternal voice influence postnatal voice preferences. Tape recordings of maternal voices were low-pass filtered at 1000 Hz in order to simulate intrauterine recordings of maternal voices. Neonates were placed in a discriminated-operant choice task in which they could choose between a recording of the maternal unfiltered voice and the maternal low-pass voice. A second group of neonates was presented the same recordings to assess neonates' preferences for low-pass (nonmaternal) female voices in general. The same unfiltered voice recordings were high-pass filtered at 1000 Hz and the high-pass and unfiltered versions of these voices were presented to a third group of neonates to assess their preferences. The high-pass voices were different from any voices experienced while the unfiltered voices were more similar to maternal prenatal voices.
Newborns' preference for female voices as a function of spectral composition
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Created on 1/1/1984
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 1984
- Subjects
- Auditory perception in infants
- Mother and infant