Language in Balance: an Imprint of Brain Electrophysiology?

forthcoming

It has long been recognised that the brain functions in a neural balance of periodic and aperiodic activity. The significance of this is a matter of intense debate. It seems clear that such a fundamental neural balance would manifest as other forms of balance—in cognition and behaviour. BALANG pursues this idea for human language. Here, balance is described for both information and acoustics. We don’t like to hear the same old story, but being completely caught off guard isn’t pleasant either. Similarly, speech rhythm is neither monotone nor overly animated. I propose that the neural balance of periodic and aperiodic explains balance in language. Pilot data and prior literature suggest that familiar information and isochronous speech align with the predictive functions of periodic brain activity. On the other hand, new, unforeseeable information and anisochrony are a good fit for aperiodic activity. BALANG centres on the triad of the brain, language, and aesthetics. It aims at explaining why language poses little effort, is familiar and new, isochronous and anisochronous—and a matter of preference. Neuroscientific experiments will test whether neural balance of brain areas that process language and speech meets with balanced information and acoustics. Using speech/text corpora, I will test whether balance holds across languages. By analysing popular prose/speeches and linking them to brain signals, I will assess whether balance is pleasant. In evolutionary terms, effective communication should be rewarding—with low metabolic cost. Finally, I will test whether more periodic brains prefer the familiar and isochronous, whereas more aperiodic brains prefer the new and anisochronous? My agenda contains five work packages, with dedicated risk management. If my hypotheses are correct, I will deliver an entirely novel view on language, the brain, and aesthetics. Regardless of outcome, BALANG helps to clarify the significance of neural balance for cognition and behaviour.