Beyond Perception: Musical Representation and On-line Processing in Autism

Authors: Heaton, Pamela; Williams, Kerry; Cummins, Omar; Happé, Francesca

Source: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Volume 37, Number 7, August 2007 , pp. 1355-1360(6)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Whilst findings from experimental studies suggest that perceptual mechanisms underpinning musical cognition are preserved or enhanced in autism, little is known about how higher-level, structural aspects of music are processed. Twenty participants with autism, together with age and intelligence matched controls, completed a musical priming task in which global and local musical contexts were manipulated. The results from the study revealed no between-group differences and showed that both global and local musical contexts influenced participants' congruity judgements. The findings were interpreted within the context of studies showing weakened sensitivity to verbal/semantic information in autism.

Keywords: Autism; Music cognition; Local and global processing

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0283-y

Affiliations: 1: Email: P.Heaton@gold.ac.uk

Publication date: 2007-08-01