Jusczyk and Krumhansl 1993).On the basis of these findings,one can
tentatively propose three processing universals:the priority of contour
over interval processing;the priority of temporal patterning over specific
timing cues;and the relevance of gestalt principles of grouping.All of
these principles involve a priority for global,relational cues over precise,
absolute cues.Of interest,this contrasts markedly with the predilection
of nonhuman species to focus on absolute pitch details in auditory
sequences (D’Amato 1988;Hulse and Page 1988).Interval Processing:Frequency Ratios
Infants’ ability to perceive invariant contour and rhythm across changes
in individual pitches and durations,although important,is not confined
to music.After all,contour,rhythm,and perceptual grouping principles
are important for perceiving and remembering spoken as well as musical
patterns (Handel 1989;Trehub 1990;Trehub,Trainor,and Unyk 1993;
Rubin 1995).For example,sentencelike prosody enhances prelinguistic
infants’ memory for phonetic information (Mandel,Jusczyk,and Kemler
Nelson 1994),as it does for adults.
Other adult-infant similarities,such as sensitivity to small-integer
frequency ratios,are more specifically linked to music.Ancient and
medieval scholars claimed that tones related by small-integer ratios are
pleasant,or consonant,and that those related by large-integer ratios are
unpleasant,or dissonant (see Plomp and Levelt 1965;Schellenberg and
Trehub 1994b).Galileo,for example,speculated that intervals with small-
integer ratios produce regular or pleasing neural patterns.Although this
notion and comparable neurophysiological proposals (Boomsliter and
Creel 1961;Roederer 1979;Patterson 1986) remain unsubstantiated,it is
clear that small-integer ratios play a critical role not only in Western
music but in musical systems across cultures (Sachs 1943;Meyer 1956;
Trehub,Schellenberg,and Hill 1997).Note that tones an octave (twelve
semitones) apart are related by an approximate frequency ratio of 2:1;
tones seven semitones apart (perfect fifth) exemplify a 3:2 ratio,and
tones five semitones apart (perfect fourth) a 4:3 ratio.By contrast,tones
six semitones apart,the tritone interval,exemplify the large-integer ratio
of 45:32.Of interest,use of the tritone was prohibited in medieval times,
when it was considered diabolus in musica(Piston 1969:27) or “the devil
in music”(Kennedy 1994:901).
In a number of studies,infants,children,and adults were found to
retain more information from sequences whose component tones were
related by small-integer ratios than by large-integer ratios (Trehub et al.
1986;Cohen,Thorpe,and Trehub 1987;Trehub,Thorpe,and Trainor 1990;431 Human Processing Predispositions