The Effect of Vocal Modeling on Pitch-Matching Accuracy of Elementary Schoolchildren

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of adult female, adult male, and child vocal modeling on the pitch-matching accuracy of children in Grades 1 through 6. The researcher tested 282 subjects individually on three separate occasions, each time with a different vocal model. Model pitch stimulus and testing conditions were the same on each testing occasion, the only difference being the model voice. Results indicated that vocal modeling had an effect on the subjects' pitch-matching accuracy. There were more correct responses to the child model, followed by the female and the male models, respectively. Incorrect responses were more often flat for the female and male models and more often sharp for the child model. First-grade and sixth-grade subjects sang the highest percentages of incorrect responses for all three models. The highest percentage of flat responses was sung by first-grade subjects.