Speech-to-Speech Synchronization test (SSS test)

The Speech-to-Speech Synchronization Test is a simple behavioral tool, where individuals listen to a rhythmic train of syllables, while concurrently and continuously whisper the syllable “tah”. This task allows to split the general population into two groups according to individual differences in the degree of speech auditory-motor synchronization (Assaneo et al., 2019b): some of them spontaneously align the produced syllabic rate to the perceived one (high synchrony group), while others do not (low synchrony group). Group belonging (i.e. being a high or a low synchronizer) is predictive of performance in a set of cognitive tasks as well as of brain structural and functional features (Assaneo et al., 2019b; M.F. Assaneo et al., 2019a; Kern et al., 2021).

Currently, there are two different versions of the test:

• The Implicit Fixed Version: the external syllabic rate remains stable at 4.5 Hz and participants are not explicitly instructed to synchronize their vocalizations to the auditory stimulus.
• The Explicit Accelerated Version: the external syllabic rate starts at 4.3 Hz and increases in steps of 0.1 Hz every 10 second until it reaches 4.7 Hz. The individuals are instructed to synchronize their production to the perceived rate.

While distinctive brain features between synchrony groups have only been assessed with the Implicit Fixed Version version (Assaneo et al., 2019b, 2020;M.F. Assaneo et al., 2019a), differences in behaviour have been reported with both, with the Implicit Fixed (Assaneo et al., 2019b, 2021, 2020) as well as with the Explicit Accelerated version (Kern et al., 2021). Which version is the most suitable remains an open question, and the selection of one of the two alternatives will rely on the researcher.

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