Towards a dynamic systems approach to the development of language and music - Theoretical foundations and methodological issues

Abstract

Music and language are considered as distinct auditory systems that serve different communicative uses. From the perspective of infants rather inexperienced with their native musical and linguistic systems, these differences are less apparent. One of the enduring puzzles related to human cognitive development is the question of how children acquire these complex systems with such effortlessness and speed, and how developmental change can be explained. Dynamic systems theory (DST) can make significant contributions to our understanding of cognitive development, and has already been successfully applied to first and second language development. By drawing together findings from various scientific fields, we will argue that our understanding of musical and linguistic development can be crucially enhanced by i) cross-domain research, ii) applying DST and iii) new methodologies in empirical research. Language and music are seen as complex non-linear dynamical systems that may interact at various stages of development, such as in syntactic development. Major developmental shifts occur around the same time up to the age of four in both systems. DST also has potential to shed new light on common methodological issues in developmental research: intra-subject variability in behavioural data receives a positive meaning and is not considered as noise but as sound.