音乐意义传递的神经证据——基于启动范式的发现与思考

使用语义启动(semantic priming)、概念启动(conceptual priming)、情感启动(affective priming)以及和声启动(harmonic priming)四种启动范式及其变式,认知神经科学的研究证实:音乐能够传递不同的意义,其主要的神经证据是两大脑电指标:对应于外在音乐意义(extra-musical meaning)的N400与对应于内在音乐意义(intra-musical meaning)的N5。对4种启动范式的分析发现:1)音乐以"语义"与"非语义"两种形式为媒介传递意义;2)启动范式的核心特征即是对基于"音乐知觉与图式"的"期望匹配与不匹配效应"的操作。与此同时,近期的研究表明N400与N5间的关系并非完全的"彼此独立",而是倾向于共存与共变,甚至是一个成分的两种表达。未来研究在进一步厘清音乐内、外在意义深层关联的同时,有必要将音乐意义传递的神经科学研究纳入到更为宏阔的时代、地域与社会性背景之中。

Neural evidence for musical meaning transmission: Findings and thoughts based on the priming paradigm

Using four classical priming paradigms--semantic priming,conceptual priming,affective priming and harmonic priming--cognitive neuroscientists suggest that music transmits different meanings,because they have found two EEG signals N400 and N5 that correspond to extra-musical meaning and intra-music meaning respectively.We analyzed the four priming paradigms and found that:the core characteristics of these four paradigms is "the match or mismatch effect" based on "musical gestalt" or"musical expectancy",meanwhile,these four paradigms can be further divided into "semantic medium paradigm" and "non-semantic medium paradigm".Recent studies reveal that N400 and N5 responses are not independent.Instead,they may be two expressions of the same neural activity.As an artistic format of human creation,the transmission of meaning via music carry features of a particular era,region or culture,which in turn affect the generalizability and uniqueness of transmitting meanings via music.Therefore,in the future,cognitive neuroscientific studies of music should consider a broader range of humanistic factors,such as historical or social backgrounds.