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Papers by Matthew Slayton

Biosemiotics, Apr 13, 2023

Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2020

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Research Square (Research Square), Oct 24, 2022

Human music and language are two systems of communication and expression that, while historically... more Human music and language are two systems of communication and expression that, while historically considered to overlap, have become increasingly divergent in their approach and study. Music and language almost certainly co-evolved and emerged from the same semiotic field, and this relationship as well as co-origin are actively researched and debated. For the sake of evaluating the semiotic content of zoomusicology, we investigate music from a 'bottomup' biosemiotic functionalist account considering iconic, indexical, and symbolic forms of meaning not in a hierarchy but according to their effects on agents. Such an approach avoids overintellectualizing the representational aspects of music, and instead inverts, as it were, the traditional hierarchy of semiotic categories to produce illocutionary effects. Understanding aesthetics and action not as a priori separate but rather fundamentally co-arising elements of the same events, the focus of musicality again returns to interpretation and how semiosis precipitates expression.

Translational Issues in Psychological Science

A study where participants have brainstorming conversations on Zoom and we measure their synchron... more A study where participants have brainstorming conversations on Zoom and we measure their synchrony and creativity.

Eating disorders (EDs) are serious, life-threatening psychiatric conditions associated with physi... more Eating disorders (EDs) are serious, life-threatening psychiatric conditions associated with physical and psychosocial impairments, as well as high morbidity and mortality. Given the chronic refractory nature of EDs and the paucity of evidence-based treatments, there is a pressing need to identify novel approaches for this population. The noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) antagonist, ketamine, has recently been approved for treatment-resistant depression, which exhibits rapid and robust antidepressant effects, particularly among clinical non-responders. It is now being investigated for several new indications, including obsessive-compulsive, post-traumatic, and substance use disorder; and shows transdiagnostic potential for EDs. As such, the aim of this review is to examine contemporary findings on the treatment of EDs with ketamine, whether used as a primary, adjunctive, or combination pharmacotherapy. Avenues for future research are also discussed. Overall, resul...

ABSTRACTA key feature of the brain’s ability to tell time and generate complex temporal patterns ... more ABSTRACTA key feature of the brain’s ability to tell time and generate complex temporal patterns is its capacity to produce similar temporal patterns at different speeds. For example, humans can tie a shoe, type, or play an instrument at different speeds or tempi—a phenomenon referred to as temporal scaling. While it is well established that training improves timing precision and accuracy, it is not known whether expertise improves temporal scaling. We quantified temporal scaling and timing precision in musicians and non-musicians as they learned to tap a Morse code sequence. We found that controls improved significantly over the course of days of training at the standard speed. In contrast, musicians exhibited a high level of temporal precision on the first day, which did not improve significantly with training. Although there was no significant difference in performance at the end of training at the standard speed, musicians were significantly better at temporal scaling—i.e., at r...

The Evolution of Language - Proceedings of the 8th International Conference (EVOLANG8), 2010

Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 2019

Understanding creativity is of great interest to anyone who seeks to train, cultivate, or underst... more Understanding creativity is of great interest to anyone who seeks to train, cultivate, or understand this complex human faculty. One phenomenon of continued interest is how groups of individuals effectively engage in acts of creativity. We outline key concepts in creative cognition in individuals, as these processes are the foundation, on which group dynamics act. Next, we focus our discussion on musical groups, such as jazz improvisers and classical chamber music ensembles. We argue that musical ensembles offer a model system with which we can study creativity in the setting of both artistic expression and creative cognition. The neuroscience literature suggests that musical performance relies on similar brain networks as other creative domains and that, subject to intervening variables such as emotional context and group coordination, increased domain expertise results in reduced executive processes during creative acts. We tie these findings together using an interactionist model of organizational creativity and suggest directions for future research.

Biosemiotics, Apr 13, 2023

Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2020

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Research Square (Research Square), Oct 24, 2022

Human music and language are two systems of communication and expression that, while historically... more Human music and language are two systems of communication and expression that, while historically considered to overlap, have become increasingly divergent in their approach and study. Music and language almost certainly co-evolved and emerged from the same semiotic field, and this relationship as well as co-origin are actively researched and debated. For the sake of evaluating the semiotic content of zoomusicology, we investigate music from a 'bottomup' biosemiotic functionalist account considering iconic, indexical, and symbolic forms of meaning not in a hierarchy but according to their effects on agents. Such an approach avoids overintellectualizing the representational aspects of music, and instead inverts, as it were, the traditional hierarchy of semiotic categories to produce illocutionary effects. Understanding aesthetics and action not as a priori separate but rather fundamentally co-arising elements of the same events, the focus of musicality again returns to interpretation and how semiosis precipitates expression.

Translational Issues in Psychological Science

A study where participants have brainstorming conversations on Zoom and we measure their synchron... more A study where participants have brainstorming conversations on Zoom and we measure their synchrony and creativity.

Eating disorders (EDs) are serious, life-threatening psychiatric conditions associated with physi... more Eating disorders (EDs) are serious, life-threatening psychiatric conditions associated with physical and psychosocial impairments, as well as high morbidity and mortality. Given the chronic refractory nature of EDs and the paucity of evidence-based treatments, there is a pressing need to identify novel approaches for this population. The noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) antagonist, ketamine, has recently been approved for treatment-resistant depression, which exhibits rapid and robust antidepressant effects, particularly among clinical non-responders. It is now being investigated for several new indications, including obsessive-compulsive, post-traumatic, and substance use disorder; and shows transdiagnostic potential for EDs. As such, the aim of this review is to examine contemporary findings on the treatment of EDs with ketamine, whether used as a primary, adjunctive, or combination pharmacotherapy. Avenues for future research are also discussed. Overall, resul...

ABSTRACTA key feature of the brain’s ability to tell time and generate complex temporal patterns ... more ABSTRACTA key feature of the brain’s ability to tell time and generate complex temporal patterns is its capacity to produce similar temporal patterns at different speeds. For example, humans can tie a shoe, type, or play an instrument at different speeds or tempi—a phenomenon referred to as temporal scaling. While it is well established that training improves timing precision and accuracy, it is not known whether expertise improves temporal scaling. We quantified temporal scaling and timing precision in musicians and non-musicians as they learned to tap a Morse code sequence. We found that controls improved significantly over the course of days of training at the standard speed. In contrast, musicians exhibited a high level of temporal precision on the first day, which did not improve significantly with training. Although there was no significant difference in performance at the end of training at the standard speed, musicians were significantly better at temporal scaling—i.e., at r...

The Evolution of Language - Proceedings of the 8th International Conference (EVOLANG8), 2010

Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 2019

Understanding creativity is of great interest to anyone who seeks to train, cultivate, or underst... more Understanding creativity is of great interest to anyone who seeks to train, cultivate, or understand this complex human faculty. One phenomenon of continued interest is how groups of individuals effectively engage in acts of creativity. We outline key concepts in creative cognition in individuals, as these processes are the foundation, on which group dynamics act. Next, we focus our discussion on musical groups, such as jazz improvisers and classical chamber music ensembles. We argue that musical ensembles offer a model system with which we can study creativity in the setting of both artistic expression and creative cognition. The neuroscience literature suggests that musical performance relies on similar brain networks as other creative domains and that, subject to intervening variables such as emotional context and group coordination, increased domain expertise results in reduced executive processes during creative acts. We tie these findings together using an interactionist model of organizational creativity and suggest directions for future research.