Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
06:34

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Predictive information processing is a fundamental learning mechanism present in early development: evidence from

Laurel J Trainor1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. ljt@mcmaster.ca

International Journal of Psychophysiology : Official Journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology
|January 10, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Predictive coding, a brain function, is evident in infants. Mismatch responses to unexpected sounds show this mechanism develops early and learns rapidly with experience.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Predictive coding is a leading theory of brain function.
  • Early infant responses to auditory stimuli offer insights into brain development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and role of predictive coding in early infancy.
  • To explore how infants' brains process unexpected auditory information.

Main Methods:

  • Measured cortical event-related potentials (ERPs) in young infants.
  • Presented auditory stimuli with deviations in pitch, timing, and melodic pattern.

Main Results:

  • Robust mismatch responses were observed in infants to unexpected auditory stimuli.
  • These mismatch responses demonstrated rapid changes with specific auditory experience.

Conclusions:

  • Predictive coding is fundamental to brain function from early infancy.
  • Mismatch responses indicate predictive coding is an early-developing learning mechanism in infants.

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