Musical expertise has been shown to positively influence high-level speech abilities such as novel word learning. This study addresses the question whether low-level enhanced perceptual skills causally drives successful novel word learning. We used a longitudinal approach with psychoacoustic procedures to train 2 groups of nonmusicians either on pitch discrimination or on intensity discrimination, using harmonic complex sounds. After short (app. 3 hr) psychoacoustic training, discrimination thresholds were lower on the specific feature (pitch or intensity) that was trained. Moreover, compared to the intensity group, participants trained on pitch were faster to categorize words varying in pitch. Finally, although the N400 components in both the word learning phase and in the semantic task were larger in the pitch group than in the intensity group, no between-group differences were found at the behavioral level in the semantic task. Thus, these results provide mixed evidence that enhanced perception of relevant features through a few hours of acoustic training with harmonic sounds causally impacts the categorization of speech sounds as well as novel word learning. These results are discussed within the framework of near and far transfer effects from music training to speech processing.

音乐专业知识已被证明可以对高级语音能力产生积极影响，例如新词学习。这项研究解决了低水平增强的感知技能是否会推动成功的新单词学习的问题。我们使用带有心理声学程序的纵向方法来训练两组非音乐家的音高辨别或强度辨别，使用谐波复合声音。经过短暂（约 3 小时）的心理声学训练后，所训练的特定特征（音高或强度）的辨别阈值较低。此外，与强度组相比，接受音高训练的参与者对音高不同的单词进行分类的速度更快。最后，虽然音高组在单词学习阶段和语义任务中的 N400 分量都比强度组大，在语义任务的行为层面上没有发现组间差异。因此，这些结果提供了混合证据，表明通过几个小时的和声声学训练增强对相关特征的感知会影响语音的分类以及新词的学习。这些结果在从音乐训练到语音处理的远近转移效应的框架内进行了讨论。