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Absolute Pitch, Early Musical Instruction, and Spatial Abilities
Author(s) -
COSTAGIOMI EUGENIA,
GILMOUR RAMONA,
SIDDELL JEANNE,
LEFEBVRE ELIZABETH
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb05750.x
Subject(s) - musical , absolute pitch , psychology , task (project management) , affect (linguistics) , test (biology) , cognitive psychology , communication , visual arts , art , perception , paleontology , neuroscience , biology , management , economics
The results of the study show that AP possessors performed better in the Hidden Figure Test than did NMs and musicians with RP and that age at which music instruction is initiated affects performance in specific spatial tasks. Individuals who begin extensive musical instruction at a very early age may have an advantage when completing selected spatial tests over those with no formal musical training. However, characteristics other than starting age of musical instruction are associated with AP and seem to affect musicians' performance in the Hidden Figure Test. The differences found between the performance of AP possessors and RP possessors in this nonmusical task suggest further research.