View in EDS PDF Full Text

Strings Versus Keys: A Comparison of Violinists, Pianists, and Nonmusicians in Lexical Tone Perception and Tone Word Learning.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Strings Versus Keys: A Comparison of Violinists, Pianists, and Nonmusicians in Lexical Tone Perception and Tone Word Learning.
Authors: Katie Ling, Cheuk Lam1,2, Choi, William1,2,3 willchoi@hku.hk
Source: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research. Oct2025, Vol. 68 Issue 10, p4889-4916. 28p.
Subject Terms: *Statistical correlation, *Data analysis, *Phonological awareness, *Transfer of training, *Memory, *Research, *Comparative studies, *Cognition, Music, Cronbach's alpha, Research funding, Logistic regression analysis, Performing arts, Musical perception, Descriptive statistics, Thai people, Statistics, One-way analysis of variance, Health outcome assessment, Psychosocial factors, Entertainers, Musical pitch
Abstract: Purpose: Correlational research has found that musicians outperform nonmusicians in lexical tone perception and tone word learning. In these studies, participants were dichotomized as either musicians or nonmusicians. However, musicianship is nonbinary, as different musical instruments have different pitch processing demands. Examining different types of musicianship would enable a more comprehensive understanding of music-to-language transfer. The present study investigated whether violinists would outperform pianists and nonmusicians in discriminating and identifying Thai contour tones and, if so, whether the violinists' advantage in Thai contour tones would also apply to Thai tone word learnin g. Method: Eighty-one Cantonese violinists, pianists, and nonmusicians completed a Thai tone discrimination task, a Thai tone identification task, and seven sessions of tone word identification training. Participants also completed a working memory task, a nonverbal intelligence task, and an inhibitory control task. Results: In the Thai tone discrimination task, the violinists, pianists, and nonmusicians performed similarly. In the Thai tone identification task, the violinists and pianists performed similarly, but both groups outperformed the nonmusicians. In the Thai tone word learning task, both the violinists and the pianists outperformed the nonmusicians, with violinists demonstrating the largest musical advantage. Unexpectedly, the violinists' advantage applied to some but not all contour and level tones. Conclusions: The results indicated that music-to-language transfer in tone word learning hinges on the type of musical instrument. Theoretically, there is a need to introduce elements of higher level linguistic processing and selectivity into the Overlap, Precision, Emotion, Repetition, and Attention hypothesis. Practically, the study suggests the potential of violin training in facilitating nonnative tone word learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: ehh
DbLabel: Education Research Complete
An: 188657779
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Strings Versus Keys: A Comparison of Violinists, Pianists, and Nonmusicians in Lexical Tone Perception and Tone Word Learning.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katie+Ling%2C+Cheuk+Lam%22">Katie Ling, Cheuk Lam</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Choi%2C+William%22">Choi, William</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2,3</relatesTo><i> willchoi@hku.hk</i>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Speech%2C+Language+%26+Hearing+Research%22">Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research</searchLink>. Oct2025, Vol. 68 Issue 10, p4889-4916. 28p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+correlation%22">Statistical correlation</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis%22">Data analysis</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phonological+awareness%22">Phonological awareness</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transfer+of+training%22">Transfer of training</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Memory%22">Memory</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research%22">Research</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+studies%22">Comparative studies</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognition%22">Cognition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Music%22">Music</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cronbach's+alpha%22">Cronbach's alpha</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Logistic+regression+analysis%22">Logistic regression analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Performing+arts%22">Performing arts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Musical+perception%22">Musical perception</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thai+people%22">Thai people</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistics%22">Statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22One-way+analysis+of+variance%22">One-way analysis of variance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+outcome+assessment%22">Health outcome assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychosocial+factors%22">Psychosocial factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Entertainers%22">Entertainers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Musical+pitch%22">Musical pitch</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: Correlational research has found that musicians outperform nonmusicians in lexical tone perception and tone word learning. In these studies, participants were dichotomized as either musicians or nonmusicians. However, musicianship is nonbinary, as different musical instruments have different pitch processing demands. Examining different types of musicianship would enable a more comprehensive understanding of music-to-language transfer. The present study investigated whether violinists would outperform pianists and nonmusicians in discriminating and identifying Thai contour tones and, if so, whether the violinists' advantage in Thai contour tones would also apply to Thai tone word learnin g. Method: Eighty-one Cantonese violinists, pianists, and nonmusicians completed a Thai tone discrimination task, a Thai tone identification task, and seven sessions of tone word identification training. Participants also completed a working memory task, a nonverbal intelligence task, and an inhibitory control task. Results: In the Thai tone discrimination task, the violinists, pianists, and nonmusicians performed similarly. In the Thai tone identification task, the violinists and pianists performed similarly, but both groups outperformed the nonmusicians. In the Thai tone word learning task, both the violinists and the pianists outperformed the nonmusicians, with violinists demonstrating the largest musical advantage. Unexpectedly, the violinists' advantage applied to some but not all contour and level tones. Conclusions: The results indicated that music-to-language transfer in tone word learning hinges on the type of musical instrument. Theoretically, there is a need to introduce elements of higher level linguistic processing and selectivity into the Overlap, Precision, Emotion, Repetition, and Attention hypothesis. Practically, the study suggests the potential of violin training in facilitating nonnative tone word learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=188657779
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-25-00133
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 28
        StartPage: 4889
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Statistical correlation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Phonological awareness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Transfer of training
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Memory
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Comparative studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cognition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Music
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cronbach's alpha
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Logistic regression analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Performing arts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Musical perception
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thai people
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: One-way analysis of variance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health outcome assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychosocial factors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Entertainers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Musical pitch
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Strings Versus Keys: A Comparison of Violinists, Pianists, and Nonmusicians in Lexical Tone Perception and Tone Word Learning.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Katie Ling, Cheuk Lam
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Choi, William
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 10
              Text: Oct2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 10924388
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 68
            – Type: issue
              Value: 10
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1