Early Development:
* In the womb: Fetuses can hear sounds starting around 24 weeks of gestation. This is evidenced by changes in fetal heart rate and movement in response to sounds like music or the mother's voice.
* Shortly after birth: Newborns are born with the ability to hear, but their auditory system is still developing. They are particularly sensitive to sounds within the range of human speech.
Perception vs. Detection:
* Detection: The ability to simply detect sound is present very early in life.
* Perception: Perceiving sound involves more than just detection. It means making sense of the sounds, identifying patterns, and understanding meaning. This develops over time.
Key Factors Influencing Perception:
* Brain Development: The brain's auditory processing centers continue to develop throughout childhood, leading to improved sound perception.
* Experience: Exposure to a wide range of sounds, particularly language, is crucial for developing sound perception.
* Individual Differences: Every child's auditory system develops at a slightly different pace, leading to variation in when sound perception becomes fully mature.
Therefore, while sound detection is present early on, the ability to perceive and interpret sound fully develops over time, influenced by brain development and experience.