Scientists have found that newborns are able to perceive the rhythm of music as a separate cognitive mechanism, active even at birth.
A group of researchers from the Netherlands and Hungary found that the ability to feel rhythm is not a property that a person acquires in the future.
"We still have a lot of unknown to how newborns perceive, memorize and process music. However, in 2009, we found clear indicators that even babies who are born only a few days ago have the ability to hear a regular heart rate in music, which is considered a key to creating.
In order to understand the process of perception of music newborn, scientists conducted an experiment with 27 babies. They controlled the duration of the drum rhythms to determine whether there were differences in mastering the order of sounds in the rhythm and the ability to recognize it.
With the help of headphones, researchers presented two versions of the drum rhythm. In the first embodiment, the intervals between sounds were the same, creating a specific rhythm. In the second case, the intervals were accidental, which made it impossible to determine the rhythm, but made it possible to study the sequence of sounds.
The study used brain wave measurements (EEG), which showed that babies were reacted to a rhythm when the intervals between strokes were the same. However, when reproducing the same pattern with irregular intervals, children did not recognize the rhythm.
"Our results indicate that it is a specific skill for newborns and emphasize the importance of children's rhyming songs for audio development of children at an early age. A deeper understanding of the processes of early perception is of great importance for the study of children's psychology and role, what music skills can play in their development.
"In fact, the perception of rhythm can be considered a fundamental human trait, which probably played an important role in the evolution of our ability to music," Hankyan Honing added.
