IDENTIFICATION OF TV TUNES BY CHILDREN WITH COCHLEAR IMPLANTS

INTRINSIC PITCH PROCESSING LIMITATIONS OF cochlear implants constrain the perception of music, particularly melodies. We tested child implant users' ability to recognize music on the basis of incidental exposure. Using a closed-set task, prelingually deaf children with implants and hearing children were required to identify three renditions of the theme music from their favorite TV programs: a flute rendition of the main (sung) melody, a full instrumental version without lyrics, and the original music. Although child implant users were less accurate than hearing children, they successfully identified all versions of songs at above-chance levels-a finding that contradicts widespread claims of child and adult implant users' difficulties with melody identification. We attribute their success primarily to timing cues that match those of the original music.