Newborn Babies Can Anticipate Rhythm in Music, Researchers Find
Newborn babies are capable of anticipating rhythm in music, a discovery that sheds light on a fundamental human trait. Research published in the journal Plos Biology found that babies as young as eight or nine months old can detect and predict patterns relating to rhythm in music, but not melody.
The study used electroencephalography (EEG) to collect brain activity data from sleeping newborns fitted with earphones, playing original pieces of music composed by Bach, as well as versions where pitches and note timings were shuffled. The researchers found that the babies' brain activity reflected surprises in rhythm in the original pieces, suggesting they can track and predict rhythmic patterns in real music.
However, when the pitches and note timings were randomized within a piece, the babies' brain activity did not reflect surprises in either rhythm or melody. This suggests that the human brain is biologically tuned to make predictions when listening to music, especially about rhythm, which goes beyond simply anticipating regular intervals.
According to Dr. Roberta Bianco, the first author of the research, this ability has its roots in basic biological and sensory experiences, such as the regular rhythms associated with a mother's heartbeat and walking motion during pregnancy. The researchers believe that this innate sense of timing and predictability may be an evolutionary adaptation that allows humans to better process music.
The findings also offer insights into how different aspects of music are processed by young brains. While melody appears to depend on human brain specializations that are shaped by learning after birth, rhythm seems to be built on ancient auditory abilities shared with other primates.
This research has significant implications for our understanding of human cognition and the evolution of musical perception. It also raises interesting questions about whether mothers played music to their babies before they were born and how this may have influenced their early development. As Dr. Giovanni Di Liberto noted, further study on this topic could provide valuable insights into the role of music in fetal development.
The study's conclusions align with other research that suggests language acquisition begins with speech rhythm. Professor Usha Goswami's work with infants also found that individual differences in children's speech processing depend on speech rhythm perception and not pitch structure perception.
In conclusion, the discovery that newborn babies can anticipate rhythm in music highlights a fundamental aspect of human cognition that may have evolved over time. Further research into this topic could provide valuable insights into the evolution of musical perception and its role in shaping human behavior.
Newborn babies are capable of anticipating rhythm in music, a discovery that sheds light on a fundamental human trait. Research published in the journal Plos Biology found that babies as young as eight or nine months old can detect and predict patterns relating to rhythm in music, but not melody.
The study used electroencephalography (EEG) to collect brain activity data from sleeping newborns fitted with earphones, playing original pieces of music composed by Bach, as well as versions where pitches and note timings were shuffled. The researchers found that the babies' brain activity reflected surprises in rhythm in the original pieces, suggesting they can track and predict rhythmic patterns in real music.
However, when the pitches and note timings were randomized within a piece, the babies' brain activity did not reflect surprises in either rhythm or melody. This suggests that the human brain is biologically tuned to make predictions when listening to music, especially about rhythm, which goes beyond simply anticipating regular intervals.
According to Dr. Roberta Bianco, the first author of the research, this ability has its roots in basic biological and sensory experiences, such as the regular rhythms associated with a mother's heartbeat and walking motion during pregnancy. The researchers believe that this innate sense of timing and predictability may be an evolutionary adaptation that allows humans to better process music.
The findings also offer insights into how different aspects of music are processed by young brains. While melody appears to depend on human brain specializations that are shaped by learning after birth, rhythm seems to be built on ancient auditory abilities shared with other primates.
This research has significant implications for our understanding of human cognition and the evolution of musical perception. It also raises interesting questions about whether mothers played music to their babies before they were born and how this may have influenced their early development. As Dr. Giovanni Di Liberto noted, further study on this topic could provide valuable insights into the role of music in fetal development.
The study's conclusions align with other research that suggests language acquisition begins with speech rhythm. Professor Usha Goswami's work with infants also found that individual differences in children's speech processing depend on speech rhythm perception and not pitch structure perception.
In conclusion, the discovery that newborn babies can anticipate rhythm in music highlights a fundamental aspect of human cognition that may have evolved over time. Further research into this topic could provide valuable insights into the evolution of musical perception and its role in shaping human behavior.
it's like they're already wired to love music! The researchers used EEG on sleeping newborns and found that their brain activity reflected surprises in rhythm, but not melody. It's crazy because it suggests that our brains are actually biologically tuned to make predictions when listening to music, especially about rhythm. I mean, can you imagine what it would've been like if your mom played music for you in the womb? 
Would they have just loved it or was it even possible back then? This study is mind blowing and I'm definitely going to share more on this with my fellow parents 
they're predicting rhythms since they're in womb 
, it's like our brain is already wired to dance 
gotta wonder what Bach would've thought if his babies were rocking out to his symphonies before birth 
. It makes me wonder how our parents even knew which tunes were catchy and good for babies back then 
... maybe it was just intuition or something 
just thinkin... if babies as young as 8-9 months can already anticipate rhythm in music, it's like they're wired to vibe with the beat from day one 
did you know that 1 in 5 babies born preterm are already exposed to musical rhythms in utero? 
it just goes to show how music can shape our early development and maybe even influence language acquisition too... what do u think about this study, folks? 
, I mean who knew newborns were already music lovers? 
anyway, its like they're already wired to detect rhythm or something 
...i dont know if its cuz they hear their mom's heartbeat in utero or what but it makes sense 
. the study also found that melody is a different story tho 
babies cant really predict pitches and stuff when theyre all messed up 
...but yeah, rhythm is like super fundamental to humans or something 
On a more serious note, though, what does this say about the importance of music education in our society? Should we be prioritizing musical training for kids from birth or is it something that develops over time? 
The idea that our brains are wired to recognize patterns and predict rhythms is just wild. And to think about the evolution of musical perception being tied to basic sensory experiences during pregnancy - it's like we're tapping into some deep, ancient human memory. 
It makes me wonder what other fundamental aspects of human cognition we haven't even scratched the surface on yet...
i wonder if thats why some people are naturally good at music or dance... anywayz gotta say this is pretty cool! 
Babies born today are literally being fed a spoon-fed world, but did you know they're also getting a rhythm course on their first day out? Scientists just discovered that newborns can anticipate rhythm in music - what's next, a Mozart symphony to go with their diaper changes? 
The study found babies as young as 8 months old can detect and predict rhythmic patterns, but don't expect them to be singing along to the beat anytime soon... yet.