Cerebral dominance for the perception of rhythm

Abstract

Five right·handed Ss listened to stimuli presented alternately to each ear at a rate of 2/sec and adjusted the precise timing of the stimulus to one ear so that the rhythm appeared completely regular. The mean errors in this setting were measured for a control condition with loud stimuli, and for an experimental condition with near·threshold stiml.J.li, and sinusoidally modulated white noise in the ear opposite to the stimulus. The results show a significant difference of about 4 msec between the two conditions, the stimulus to the right ear being apparently delayed in the experimental condition relative to the stimulus to the left ear. This suggests that the right cerebral hemisphere is involved in the perception of rhythmic stimuli.

The development of music psychology in Britain: A personal perspective.

“…This occurs in both music and in language but is probably more fundamental to music. With a graduate student, Lorna Roberts, we asked listeners to adjust the precise timing of brief auditory stimuli presented alternately to the two ears, and concluded that it was the right hemisphere that was involved in rhythm perception (Gregory, Harriman, & Roberts, 1972). A further study using the technique of delayed auditory feedback on rhythmic tapping again suggested right hemisphere involvement (Roberts & Gregory, 1973).…”