prosody
Summary
Prosody is the rhythm, stress, pitch, and loudness of speech, which carry emotion and intent beyond the words themselves. Testable point: in most people prosody is processed largely by the right hemisphere, while core language areas (Broca's, Wernicke's) are in the left.
Detail
Meaning: Prosody is the rhythm, stress, pitch (intonation), and loudness of speech. It is a vocal layer carried on top of the words, so one sentence can signal a question, sarcasm, anger, or enthusiasm depending on delivery. It is grouped with pragmatics (language use in context) and with paralanguage, the vocal cues beyond word content.
On the MCAT: Expect prosody in questions on the components of language or on nonverbal communication of emotion. A typical passage describes a person who understands words and uses grammar but speaks in a flat monotone or misses emotion in other people's voices. The link to make is the right hemisphere in most people, in contrast to left-hemisphere areas such as Broca's and Wernicke's. Another setup: rising pitch at the end of a statement turns it into a question.
Common confusion: Prosody is not semantics (word meaning), syntax (grammar), or phonology (the speech sounds). Intact Broca's and Wernicke's areas do not guarantee normal prosody, because tone depends on additional, largely right-hemisphere processing.
Sources
- Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind
Written for the MCAT and checked before it was published. For study reference only. Spotted an error? Let us know.