Preschoolers' attribution of affect to music: a comparison between vocal and instrumental performance

Article

Franco, F., Chew, M. and Swaine, J. 2017. Preschoolers' attribution of affect to music: a comparison between vocal and instrumental performance. Psychology of Music. 45 (1), pp. 131-149. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735616652954
TypeArticle
TitlePreschoolers' attribution of affect to music: a comparison between vocal and instrumental performance
AuthorsFranco, F., Chew, M. and Swaine, J.
Abstract

Research has shown inconsistent results concerning the ability of young children to identify musical emotion. This study explores the influence of the type of musical performance (vocal vs. instrumental) on children’s affect identification. Using an independent-group design, novel child-directed music was presented in three conditions: instrumental, vocal-only, and song (instrumental plus vocals) to 3- to 6-year-olds previously screened for language development (n = 76). A forced-choice task was used in which children chose a face expressing the emotion matching each musical track. All performance conditions comprised ‘happy’ (major mode/fast tempo) and ‘sad’ (minor mode/slow tempo) tracks. Nonsense syllables rather than words were used in the vocals in order to avoid the influence of lyrics on children's decisions. The results showed that even the younger children were able to identify correctly the intended emotion in music, although ‘happy’ music was more readily recognized and recognition appeared facilitated in the instrumental condition. Performance condition interacted with gender.

PublisherSAGE Publications
JournalPsychology of Music
ISSN0305-7356
Publication dates
Online01 Aug 2016
Print01 Jan 2017
Publication process dates
Deposited26 Apr 2016
Accepted23 Apr 2016
Output statusPublished
Accepted author manuscript
Copyright Statement

The published version of the article is available on SAGE Journals (http://online.sagepub.com): http://doi.org/10.1177/0305735616652954

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735616652954
LanguageEnglish
Permalink -

https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/864z0

Log in to edit

Download files

Accepted author manuscript
PreschoolEmoMusic_accepted230416_repository.pdf

  • 64
    total views
  • 43
    total downloads
  • 1
    views this month
  • 4
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Soundscapes of infant care and infant-directed communication in two hunter-gatherer societies
Lewis, J., Lewis, I. and Franco, F. 2024. Soundscapes of infant care and infant-directed communication in two hunter-gatherer societies. Hunter Gatherer Research. https://doi.org/10.3828/hgr.2024.2
Home musical activities boost premature infants' language development
Franco, F., Chifa, M. and Politimou, N. 2024. Home musical activities boost premature infants' language development. Children. 11 (5), p. 542. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11050542
Comparing the benefits of parent–infant flute and singing groups for communication and parenting: A feasibility study
Hadar, T., Politimou, N. and Franco, F. 2024. Comparing the benefits of parent–infant flute and singing groups for communication and parenting: A feasibility study. Psychology of Music. 52 (2), pp. 141-157. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356231166759
Development and validation of the Music Cognitive Test: A music-based cognitive screening test
Mangiacotti, A., Cipriani, G., Ward, E., Franco, F. and Biasutti, M. 2023. Development and validation of the Music Cognitive Test: A music-based cognitive screening test. Psychology of Music. 51 (2), pp. 373-394. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356221100851
The impact of temporal synchronisation imprecision on TRF analyses
Carta, S., Mangiacotti, A., Lopez Valdez, A., Reilly, R., Franco, F. and Di Liberto, G. 2023. The impact of temporal synchronisation imprecision on TRF analyses. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109765
Singing to infants matters: early singing interactions affect musical preferences and facilitate vocabulary building
Franco, F., Suttora, C., Spinelli, M., Kozar, I. and Fasolo, M. 2022. Singing to infants matters: early singing interactions affect musical preferences and facilitate vocabulary building. Journal of Child Language. 49 (3), pp. 552-577. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000921000167
The impact of the home musical environment on infants' language development
Papadimitriou, A., Smythe, C., Politimou, N., Franco, F. and Stewart, L. 2021. The impact of the home musical environment on infants' language development. Infant Behavior and Development. 65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101651
The soundscape of neonatal intensive care: a mixed-methods study of the parents' experience
Chifa, M., Hadar, T., Politimou, N., Reynolds, G. and Franco, F. 2021. The soundscape of neonatal intensive care: a mixed-methods study of the parents' experience. Children. 8 (8). https://doi.org/10.3390/children8080644
Evaluating a continuing professional development course on cognitive functions for Music Therapists working in care homes
Mangiacotti, A., Franco, F., Hsu, M. and Biasutti, M. 2021. Evaluating a continuing professional development course on cognitive functions for Music Therapists working in care homes. Arts in Psychotherapy. 74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2021.101800
Sing for me, Mama! Infants' discrimination of novel vowels in song
Falk, S., Fasolo, M., Genovese, G., Romero-Lauro, L. and Franco, F. 2021. Sing for me, Mama! Infants' discrimination of novel vowels in song. Infancy. 26 (2), pp. 248-270. https://doi.org/10.1111/infa.12387
Memory improvement in aging as a function of exposure to mood-matching music
Ward, E., Isac, A., Donnelly, M., Van Puyvelde, M. and Franco, F. 2021. Memory improvement in aging as a function of exposure to mood-matching music. Acta Psychologica. 212, pp. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103206
Melodic expectations in 5- to 6-year-old children
Politimou, N., Douglass-Kirk, P., Pearce, M., Stewart, L. and Franco, F. 2021. Melodic expectations in 5- to 6-year-old children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105020
The German Music@Home: validation of a questionnaire measuring at home musical exposure and interaction of young children
Schaal, N., Politimou, N., Franco, F., Stewart, L. and Müllensiefen, D. 2020. The German Music@Home: validation of a questionnaire measuring at home musical exposure and interaction of young children. PLoS ONE. 15 (8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235923
Born to speak and sing: musical predictors of language development in pre-schoolers
Politimou, N., Dalla Bella, S., Faruggia, N. and Franco, F. 2019. Born to speak and sing: musical predictors of language development in pre-schoolers. Frontiers in Psychology. 10, pp. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00948
Effetti della partecipazione a gruppi musicali per genitori e infanti su sviluppo comunicativo e genitorialità: confronto fra gruppi di flauto e di canto [= Effects of longitudinal music groups for infants and parents on communication and parenting: comparison between song and flute groups]
Hadar, T., Boem, S. and Franco, F. 2018. Effetti della partecipazione a gruppi musicali per genitori e infanti su sviluppo comunicativo e genitorialità: confronto fra gruppi di flauto e di canto [= Effects of longitudinal music groups for infants and parents on communication and parenting: comparison between song and flute groups]. in: Degli Stefani, M. and Guadagnini, M. (ed.) Gruppi sonori: Dalla tradizione alla cura Padova (Italy) CLEUP/Fondazione G. E. Ghirardi Onlus. pp. 162-189
Music@Home: a novel instrument to assess the home musical environment in the early years
Politimou, N., Stewart, L., Müllensiefen, D. and Franco, F. 2018. Music@Home: a novel instrument to assess the home musical environment in the early years. PLoS ONE. 13 (4). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193819
Testing literacy educational software to develop design guidelines for children with Autism
Tuedor, M., Franco, F., White, A.S., Smith, S. and Adams, R. 2018. Testing literacy educational software to develop design guidelines for children with Autism. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. 66 (1), pp. 19-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2018.1450494
Simple mindreading abilities predict complex theory of mind: developmental delay in autism spectrum disorders
Pino, M., Mazza, M., Mariano, M., Peretti, S., Dimitriou, D., Masedu, F., Valenti, M. and Franco, F. 2017. Simple mindreading abilities predict complex theory of mind: developmental delay in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 47 (9), pp. 2743-2756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3194-1
Emotion-related musical variables affect person perception: Differential effects for men and women in a synchronization task
Franco, F. and Angelova, S. 2016. Emotion-related musical variables affect person perception: Differential effects for men and women in a synchronization task. Interaction Studies: Social Behaviour and Communication in Biological and Artificial Systems. 17 (2), pp. 306-320. https://doi.org/10.1075/is.17.2.06fra
The interaction of music and language in the ontogenesis of human communication: a multimodal parent-infant co-regulation system.
Van Puyvelde, M., Franco, F. and HRI Online Publications, 2015. The interaction of music and language in the ontogenesis of human communication: a multimodal parent-infant co-regulation system. in: Timmers, R., Dibben, N., Eitan, Z., Granot, R., Metcalfe, T., Schiavio, A. and Williamsom, V. (ed.) Proceedings of ICMEM 2015 HRI Online Publications. pp. 1-8
Facilitating support groups for siblings of children with neurodevelopmental disorders using audioconferencing: a longitudinal feasibility study
Gettings, S., Franco, F. and Santosh, P. 2015. Facilitating support groups for siblings of children with neurodevelopmental disorders using audioconferencing: a longitudinal feasibility study. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. 9 (8), pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-015-0041-z
Affect-matching music improves cognitive performance in adults and young children for both positive and negative emotions
Franco, F., Swaine, J., Israni, S., Zaborowska, K., Kaloko, F., Kesavarajan, I. and Majek, J. 2014. Affect-matching music improves cognitive performance in adults and young children for both positive and negative emotions. Psychology of Music. 42 (6), pp. 869-887. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735614548500
Can children with autism read emotions from the eyes? The eyes test revisited
Franco, F., Itakura, S., Pomorska, K., Abramowski, A., Nikaido, K. and Dimitriou, D. 2014. Can children with autism read emotions from the eyes? The eyes test revisited. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 35 (5), pp. 1015-1026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2014.01.037
Can young children recognize emotion in the human voice?
Franco, F. and Martiskova, J. 2010. Can young children recognize emotion in the human voice? in: Klčovanská, E. and Topoľská, A. (ed.) Psychologická teória a prax očami absolventa KP FF TU - Proceedings of Trnava Annual Conference Trnava (Slovakia) Trnavská univerzita v Trnave (Trnava University Press). pp. 125-132
Meaning and entrainment in language and music
Franco, F. and Cross, I. 2012. Meaning and entrainment in language and music. Empirical Musicology Review. 7 (1-2), pp. 2-4.
Embodied attention in infant pointing
Franco, F. 2013. Embodied attention in infant pointing. in: Metcalfe, J., Sparrow, B. and Terrace, H. (ed.) Agency and joint attention Oxford University Press (OUP).
Music of language, language of music
Franco, F., Brunswick, N. and De Mornay Davies, P. 2010. Music of language, language of music. The Psychologist. 23 (11), pp. 913-914.
Theory of mind and preschoolers’ understanding of implicit causality in verbs: a comparison between Serbian and Hungarian children.
Major, A., Franco, F. and Zotovic, M. 2010. Theory of mind and preschoolers’ understanding of implicit causality in verbs: a comparison between Serbian and Hungarian children. Psihologija. 43 (2), pp. 187-198. https://doi.org/10.2298/PSI1002187M
Mental, emotion and vision verbs: implicit causality and the development of folk psychological beliefs in preschoolers.
Franco, F. and Regber, L. 2007. Mental, emotion and vision verbs: implicit causality and the development of folk psychological beliefs in preschoolers. 37th Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget Society on "Developmental social cognitive neuroscience". Amsterdam, the Netherlands 31 May - 02 Jun 2007
Research seminars on music and language [part of Society section]
Franco, F., Brunswick, N. and De Mornay Davies, P. 2010. Research seminars on music and language [part of Society section]. The Psychologist. 23 (11), pp. 913-914.
Is infant initiation of joint attention by pointing affected by type of interaction?
Franco, F., Perucchini, P. and March, B. 2009. Is infant initiation of joint attention by pointing affected by type of interaction? Social Development. 18 (1), pp. 51-76. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2008.00464.x
The role of belief veracity in understanding intentions-in-action: preschool children's performance on the transparent intentions task
Russell, J., Hill, E. and Franco, F. 2001. The role of belief veracity in understanding intentions-in-action: preschool children's performance on the transparent intentions task. Cognitive Development. 16 (3), pp. 775-792. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2014(01)00057-0
Cross-linguistic developmental evidence of implicit causality in visual perception and cognition verbs.
Franco, F., Levorato, C., Tasso, A. and Russell, J. 2000. Cross-linguistic developmental evidence of implicit causality in visual perception and cognition verbs. in: Perkins, M. and Howard, S. (ed.) New directions in language development and disorders. New York Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. pp. 189-198
Toddlers' pointing when joint attention is obstructed
Franco, F. and Gagliano, A. 2001. Toddlers' pointing when joint attention is obstructed. First Language. 21 (63), pp. 289-321. https://doi.org/10.1177/014272370102106305
Infant pointing: Harlequin, servant of two masters.
Franco, F. 2005. Infant pointing: Harlequin, servant of two masters. in: Eilan, N., Hoerl, C., McCormack, T. and Roessler, J. (ed.) Joint Attention: communication and other minds. Issues in Philosophy and Psychology. Oxford University Press (OUP). pp. 129-164
Dynamic aspects of visual event perception and the production of pointing by human infants
Butterworth, G., Franco, F., McKenzie, B., Graupner, L. and Todd, B. 2002. Dynamic aspects of visual event perception and the production of pointing by human infants. Journal of Developmental Psychology. 20 (1), pp. 1-24.
A follow-up study on Italian late talkers: development of language, short-term memory, phonological awareness, impulsiveness, and attention
D'Odorico, L., Assanelli, A., Franco, F. and Jacob, V. 2007. A follow-up study on Italian late talkers: development of language, short-term memory, phonological awareness, impulsiveness, and attention. Applied Psycholinguistics. 28 (1), pp. 157-169. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716406070081