Sensitivity to Sound Statistics: an Indication of Success in Skill Acquisition - Prof. Merav Ahissar

Quick updating of predictions (sensory and motor plans) – within .5-~3 sec, based on recent information, is crucial for adequate sensory-motor actions (like driving) and for social skills (on-line interactions with people). By contrast, inferences based on long-term stimuli statistics allow the formation of complex categories allowing fluent use of language, and acquisition of expertise. Analyzing performance in serial pitch discrimination we find that individuals with autism have difficulties with the former, whereas individuals with dyslexia have difficulties with the latter (Lieder et al., Nature Neurosci, 2019). Interestingly, musicians show superior implicit inferences. The patterns revealed in pitch performance predict implicit learning across domains, suggesting a common mechanism for serial inferences.

Prof. Merav Ahissar (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) - Braun professor of Psychology and brain research (ELSC), studies learning and skill acquisition, with a focus on perceptual learning and its relation to higher cognitive functions in neurotypicals and in individuals with dyslexia and individuals with autism, who fail in acquiring specific expertise.