A link between music perception and speech production

A two‐tone pattern has recently been described that has certain paradoxical properties. For a given listener, it is heard as ascending when played in one key, but as descending when played in a different key. Further, when the pattern is played in any one key, it is heard as ascending by some listeners but as descending by others [D. Deutsch, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Suppl. 1 80, S93 (1986); Mus. Percept. 3, 275–280 (1986); Percept. Psychophys. 42, 563–575 (1987)]. This paper demonstrates a link between perception of this pattern and the speech production of the listener. First, a significant correlation is shown between the way this pattern is perceived and the range of fundamental frequencies in the listener's spontaneous speech. Second, a significant difference in perception of this pattern is shown between a group of listeners who grew up in the south of England and those who grew up in California: Where the English group tended to hear the pattern as ascending, the Californian group tended to hear it as descending, and vice versa. These findings indicate that the same, culturally acquired, pitch template influences both speech production and also perception of this musical pattern.