The influence of musicality on expressive fable reading: adult- and child-directed perspectives

Reading ability within the field of musicality research is multifaceted and has been examined from various perspectives to elucidate the nature and basis of its relationship with musical capacities. In this study, we specifically address expressive reading ability—a dimension that has received relatively little detailed investigation to date—within the broader context of musicality. This research aimed to identify which musical capacities are associated with expressive reading abilities and to examine whether these associations vary depending on whether the intended audience is adults or children. We recruited 67 participants who were assessed on their expressive reading ability by having them read the well-known fable “The North Wind and the Sun.” Additionally, participants completed a series of musicality assessments and questionnaires. Results revealed that both adult-directed speech (ADS) and child-directed speech (CDS) were associated with melodic abilities and singing behavior during childhood. Although CDS was also found to be linked with musical engagement (such as training) and rhythmic ability, regression analyses indicated that melodic skills were the strongest predictors for both CDS and ADS. The findings underscore the significant predictive role of melodic competence in engaging fable presentation. Melodic competence correlated with rater-assessed listener engagement, potentially reflecting shared underlying processes such as attention, tension, and memory.