Voice-Sensitive Areas in the Brain

Authors

  • George Varvatsoulias Newham University Centre, London, United Kingdom

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5964/psyct.v7i1.98

Keywords:

superior temporal sulci, superior temporal gyri, evolutionary psychology

Abstract

This empirical single-participant fMRI case study partially replicates Belin, Zatorre, Lafaille, Ahad, and Pike (2000) research on voice-selective areas in the auditory cortex. It hypothesises that brain areas, sensitive to human vocal sounds, show greater neural activation than non-human ones. A 1X3 ANOVA design was used in this study contrasted by two conditions: sound vs. silence and voice vs. non-voice. The findings supported the hypothesis, noting also possible individual differences to the degree of voice activation in both hemispheres. Suggestions for a future replication could discuss voice/non-voice and speech/non-speech neuronal activation in the brain, auditory and visual neural responsiveness to voice and face modalities, and evolutionary assumptions in regard to sound- and voice-selective reactivity.

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Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2014)

Section

Research Articles

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