Musicians and Non-Musicians

My work has shown that pitch perception for musicians is less influenced by falling intensity than non-musicians. In a dynamic task then, expert knowledge may facilitate selective attention to frequency change when intensity falls. However, the advantage in tracking frequency that musicians demonstrate when intensity falls, breaks down when intensity rises. Rising intensity can signal an important event-- the approach of a sound source. Falling intensity signals the less important departure. Musicians can selectively attend to frequency when intensity falls, and the importance of the sound source presumably diminishes. However, selective attention to frequency suffers when intensity rises because the approach of a sound source may present an ecological threat or opportunity.
       

For more information see:
       

• Neuhoff, J. G. (1998). Dynamic intensity change influences perceived pitch: Attentional differences between musicians and non-musicians. Proceedings of the 16th International Congress on Acoustics and 135th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, USA, 2359-2360.
  
  
• Neuhoff, J.G., Wayand, J. & Knight, R. (submitted). Pitch Change and Musical Expertise in Auditory Displays: Which Way is Up? .