10/5/2023 0 Comments Lyrical melody vs. rhythmic melody![]() The test subjects were given two audio clips to listen to and had to indicate whether there was a difference between the two. One of the most important research questions from the thesis handled this topic, specifically whether people with amusia also have difficulty distinguishing vowels and word stress in spoken language. In intonation, for example, it is used to distinguish questions from statements or for emphasis. This is because differences in pitch are also important in spoken language. Originally, amusia was mainly seen as a music-specific disorder, but more attention has been devoted recently to research into the effect of amusia on speech perception. ‘It is striking that many of these people state that they find it particularly hard to tolerate string instruments.’ Effect amusia on perception spoken language ‘Some people who suffer from this can really not stand to hear music’, says Pfeifer. ‘If you place a metronome in front of them, they often cannot even clap along.’ Some people with amusia also suffer from musical anhedonia, a condition that causes you to not enjoy music. People with amusia cannot deal with music like most people. ![]() They have always wondered if there is something wrong with them’, she explains. ‘Because they wrestle their entire lives with music and the social aspect attached to that. ![]() Pfeifer explains that a correct diagnosis is extremely important, because it is an enormous relief for many people with amusia to be given that revised diagnosis. She made adjustments to the application and evaluation of the method, as a result of which the number of people that officially fall under the denominator ‘amusic’ will be halved: from 4% of the population to 1.5%. Early on in the research period, Pfiefer discovered that the conventional method of diagnosis for amusia, the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia, produced unreliable results. In her doctoral research, the linguist set to work in an explorative manner in order to investigate several question marks in the existing research. ‘That may also be why I found it so fascinating, because I immediately recognised myself in that description.’ Inaccurate diagnosis In addition to being an object of research, this knowledge also provided Pfeifer with a diagnosis: she discovered that she also suffers from amusia herself. The seed was planted: she had already specialised in amusia during her studies and the German native followed her lecturer to Amsterdam in order to study amusia in a doctoral programme. At that time, there were only about five articles about amusia’, says Pfeifer. ‘I studied linguistics, which is where I first came across an article about people who were supposedly ‘tone-deaf’. Discovering she suffers from amusia herself ![]() 1.5 to 4% of the population suffers from this condition. ‘People can have a problem recognising rhythm, pitch, or both’, says Pfeifer. The symptoms of the so-called ‘amusics’ are clearest in relation to music, but can also have an impact on their perception of spoken language.Īmusia is assessed using a scale test: there is not one type. Congenital amusia is an innate perceptual disorder: people with amusia have difficulty perceiving pitch and rhythm throughout their lives.
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