Validation of an auditory sensory reinforcement paradigm: Campbell’s monkeys (Cercopithecus campbelli) do not prefer consonant over dissonant sounds.

Abstract

The central position and universality of music in human societies raises the question of its phylogenetic origin. One of the most important properties of music involves harmonic musical intervals, in response to which humans show a spontaneous preference for consonant over dissonant sounds starting from early human infancy. Comparative studies conducted with organisms at different levels of the primate lineage are needed to understand the evolutionary scenario under which this phenomenon emerged. Although previous research found no preference for consonance in a New World monkey species, the question remained opened for Old World monkeys. We used an experimental paradigm based on a sensory reinforcement procedure to test auditory preferences for consonant sounds in Campbell's monkeys (Cercopithecus campbelli campbelli), an Old World monkey species. Although a systematic preference for soft (70 dB) over loud (90 dB) control white noise was found, Campbell's monkeys showed no preference for either consonant or dissonant sounds. The preference for soft white noise validates our noninvasive experimental paradigm, which can be easily reused in any captive facility to test for auditory preferences. This would suggest that human preference for consonant sounds is not systematically shared with New and Old World monkeys. The sensitivity for harmonic musical intervals emerged probably very late in the primate lineage.

Interaction of music and emotional stimuli in modulating working memory in macaque monkeys

“…A distinguished neural correlate of response to dissonant and consonant sounds have been reported in humans and monkeys (Fishman et al, ). However, contrasting results have also been reported showing that new world monkeys (cotton‐top tamarins) did not prefer consonant acoustic stimuli (McDermott & Hauser, ) and old world monkeys (Campbell's monkeys) did not show a preference for consonant over dissonant acoustic stimuli (Koda et al, ). However, preverbal human infants show a spontaneous preference for consonant over dissonant acoustic stimuli (Trainor & Heinmiller, ; Trainor, Tsang, & Cheung, ).…”

“…However, preverbal human infants show a spontaneous preference for consonant over dissonant acoustic stimuli (Trainor & Heinmiller, ; Trainor, Tsang, & Cheung, ). These discrepancies have led some investigators to suggest that humans’ perception and preference for consonant acoustic stimuli are not necessarily shared with nonhuman primate and spontaneous musicality arise in humans (Koda et al, ).…”

Evolution of tonal organization in music mirrors symbolic representation of perceptual reality. Part-1: Prehistoric

“…The capacity to hear the difference between harmonic consonance and dissonance is most likely genetically embedded in primates (Koda et al, 2013 ), however, the notion of tension related to consonance/dissonance is exclusive to humans and depends on the culture. The necessity for harmonic dissonance to resolve into consonance is realized following the negative affect generated by the incongruence between pitch processing on the one hand, and melodic priming mechanisms on the other (McLachlan et al, 2013 ).…”

Consonance Processing in the Absence of Relevant Experience: Evidence from Nonhuman Animals

“…McDermott and Hauser (2004) tested cotton-top tamarins in a V-shaped maze and found that the animals spent the same amount of time next to a loudspeaker presenting consonant sounds as to one presenting dissonant sounds. Similarly, Campbell's monkeys equally approached two opposing sides of an experimental room that produced consonant or dissonant sounds (Koda et al, 2013). Thus, neither tamarins nor Campbell's monkeys show any preference for consonance over dissonance.…”