A model for the internal representation of pitch sequences in tonal music is advanced. Pitch sequences are retained as hierarchical networks. At each level, elements are organized as structural units, in accordance with laws of figural goodness. Processing advantages of the system are discussed. (Author/BW)

Twenty-two infants aged eight weeks and 23 infants aged 16 weeks were tested in a visual fixation paradigm for the detection and use of sound localization cues. (JMB)

Three types of vestibular activities (active, adaptive, and passively imposed) to improve auditory discrimination development are described and results of a study using the vestibular stimulation techniques with 20 Ss (average age 9) having abnormal auditory discrimination. (PHR)

The results indicated that ear occlusion improved performance in the majority of Ss and that unilateral occlusion effectively eliminated the auditory figure-ground disorder in most Ss. (Author)

Provides an attempt to facilitate educators' understanding of the complex dynamics of listening via a skill analysis. (Author)

Paired English-learning and Spanish-learning infants were tested for perception of two synthetic speech contrasts differing in voice onset time. Results indicate that Spanish-learning infants discriminated both English and Spanish contrasts, while English-learning infants appeared to have discriminated English contrasts only. (JMB)

Kindergarten, third-grade and fifth-grade children were tested on a same-different auditory discrimination task. Word pairs varied in familiarity as well as summed positional frequency of the letters of the words in each pair. Results support the hypothesis that prereaders with normal language experiences develop sensitivities to…

Presented 9-month-old infants with slides of drawings of pigs and rabbits, and tested the relative success of two auditory accompaniments in facilitating subsequent categorization of the slides. Found that infants paid more attention to presentations when they were accompanied by sound (words or tones) rather than musical tones, and paid more…

A forward-gating procedure employing familiar monosyllabic words was used in auditory testing of age- and gender-matched elementary students with and without learning disabilities. Results indicate auditory closure skills were comparable between disabled and nondisabled subjects, but sensory discrimination problems may contribute significantly to…

No differences were observed between six adults and six six-year-olds in measures of frequency selectivity and comodulation masking release. Children were less able to detect signals in noise backgrounds where the signal had perceptual qualities similar to the noise or in noise backgrounds having high degrees of fluctuation. (Author/JDD)

Reviews and critiques a doctoral dissertation that investigated the ability to detect tempo changes. Points out some omissions in the study, suggesting that its brevity caused the author to omit some possible interpretations. Comments that Ellis' research design provides new ideas for research. (LS)

Assesses musicians' perceptions of beat in monotonic stimuli and attempts to define empirically the range of perceived beat tempo in music. Subjects performed a metric pulse in response to periodic stimulus tones. Results indicate a relatively narrow range within which beats are perceived by trained musicians. (LS)

This paper presents results of 2 experiments examining effects of signal and masker uncertainty on 17 preschoolers' and 13 adults' detection of tonal signals in noise maskers. Effects of masker uncertainty significantly exceeded those of signal uncertainty. For most adults and some children, distracters produced higher thresholds and shallower…

One experiment determined that the minimum angle at which infants can discriminate 2 sound presentations decreases substantially toward 48 weeks of age. In 3 succeeding experiments, infants aged 16, 20, and 28 weeks were able to discriminate sounds presented to each ear between 50 and 75 microseconds apart. (BC)

Analyzes knowledge acquisition in a sample of 264 pupils in 9 Spanish elementary schools, using time as a dependent variable. Introduces psycho-pedagogical, pedagogical, and social variables into a hazard model applied to the reading process. Auditory discrimination (not intelligence or visual perception) most significantly influences learning to…