Categorization and Schematization Processes Used in Music Perception by 10- to 11-Year-Old Children

This study investigates the role of the cue abstraction mechanism within the framework of cognitive processes underlying listening to a piece of music by 10- to 11-year-old children. Four experiments used different procedures to address three main processes: (a) the categorization of musical features, (b) the segmentation of the musical discourse, and (c) the elaboration of a mental schema of the piece. Two short tonal pieces from the classical piano repertoire were used as experimental material. Experiments 1 and 2 assessed children9s capacity to classify segments from the same musical piece into the appropriate category and to evaluate the segments9 degree of similarity. Experiment 3 investigated the segmentation process, which underlies the organization of musical events into groups. Experiment 4 explored children9s ability to reconstruct a piece of music after hearing it. The influence of musical training is investigated by comparing musician and nonmusician children. In addition, the effects of different musical features are explored. La preesente eetude porte sur le meecanisme d9extraction d9indices dans le cadre des processus cognitifs sous-tendant l9eecoute d9un morceau de musique chez des enfants de 10-11 ans. Les diverses proceedures utiliseees dans les quatre expeeriences portent sur trois processus: a) la cateegorisation de caracteeristiques musicales, b) la segmentation du discours musical et c) l9eelaboration d9un scheema mental de la pieece. Deux courtes pieeces du reepertoire classique pour piano ont servi de mateeriel expeerimental. Les expeeriences 1 et 2 eevaluent la capacitee des enfants aa classer des segments issus d9un meeme pieece musicale dans leur cateegorie respective et aa appreecier leur degree de similaritee. L9expeerience 3 eetudie le processus de segmentation qui sous-tend l9organisation des eeveenements musicaux en groupes. L9expeerience 4 explore l9aptitude des enfants aa reconstruire la pieece aprees l9avoir entendue. L9influence de la formation musicale est prise en compte aa travers une comparaison d9enfants musiciens et non-musiciens. De plus, l9effet de diffeerents traits musicaux est exploree.

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