Perception of Melodic Contour and Intonation in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence From Mandarin Speakers
Abstract
Tone language experience benefits pitch processing in music and speech for typically developing individuals. No known studies have examined pitch processing in individuals with autism who speak a tone language. This study investigated discrimination and identification of melodic contour and speech intonation in a group of Mandarin-speaking individuals with high-functioning autism. Individuals with autism showed superior melodic contour identification but comparable contour discrimination relative to controls. In contrast, these individuals performed worse than controls on both discrimination and identification of speech intonation. These findings provide the first evidence for differential pitch processing in music and speech in tone language speakers with autism, suggesting that tone language experience may not compensate for speech intonation perception deficits in individuals with autism.
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Differential pitch processing in music in ASD does not compensate for speech intonation perception deficits.
“ASD individuals presented superior melodic contour but comparable contour discrimination, and when compared with controls, ASD performed worse on both identification and discrimination of speech intonation (Jiang et al. 2015), suggesting a differential pitch processing in music that does not compensate for speech intonation perception deficits.”
From Autism Spectrum Disorder and auditory sensory alterations: a systematic review on the integrity of cognitive and neuronal functions related to auditory processing (2023) · cites this paper as Jiang et al. 2015
ASD individuals presented superior melodic contour but comparable contour discrimination, and performed worse on both identification and discrimination of speech intonation compared with controls.
“ASD individuals presented superior melodic contour but comparable contour discrimination, and when compared with controls, ASD performed worse on both identification and discrimination of speech intonation (Jiang et al. 2015), suggesting a differential pitch processing in music that does not compensate for speech intonation perception deficits.”
From Autism Spectrum Disorder and auditory sensory alterations: a systematic review on the integrity of cognitive and neuronal functions related to auditory processing (2023) · cites this paper as Jiang et al. 2015
Cites
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Gonçalves, A. M., & Monteiro, P. (2023) · Journal of Neural Transmission · doi:10.1007/s00702-023-02595-9 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
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Altered processing of communication signals in the subcortical auditory sensory pathway in autism
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- Authors
- Jiang, J., Liu, F., Wan, X., & Jiang, C.
- Affiliations
- Shanghai Normal University (CN)
- University College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Jiang, Cunmei
- Venue
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Published
- 2015-01-31
- Volume
- 45
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 2067-2075
- ISSN
- 0162-3257 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3432
- OpenAlex
- W2016117450
- Cited by
- 68
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 2.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Open Access at Essex (University of Essex) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Shanghai Normal University
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Music Perception
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Phonetics and Phonology Research
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, high-functioning autism, melodic contour, intonation, pitch processing, tonal languages, Mandarin Chinese, music perception, speech perception
- MeSH terms
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Adolescent, Auditory Perception, Child, Child, Preschool, Discrimination, Psychological, Female, Humans, Language, Male, Music, Speech Perception
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