Detection of metric structure in auditory figural patterns

Abstract

This series of experiments dealt with discrimination between two temporal patterns differing only by the insertion of an additional silent gap. In Experiment 1, patterns varied in metric and figural structure. Metric structure is described as the sense of temporal regularity that may occur between subjectively accented tones. Figural structure is described as the grouping of temporally adjacent tones separated by silences. Standard patterns were either strongly or weakly metric; comparison patterns differed from the standards by the insertion of a silence that disrupted either the metric structure alone or both the metric and the figural structures. Experiment 1 provided support for the roles of both metric and figural structures and provided support for the clock-induction model of Povel and Essens (1985) as an account of metric processing. In Experiments 2-4, discrimination of patterns with differing metric structures but identical figural structures was examined more closely. Rate of presentation of the patterns was varied. Multiple regression indicated that, independent of rate variations, discrimination improved as the absolute (not relative) duration of the silent gap increased. We argue that an additional timing mechanism, independent of pattern structure, is operative in temporal pattern discrimination. All the results were replicated across levels of music training of the listeners.

Implicit learning of between-group intervals in auditory temporal structures

“…However, there is some evidence to suggest that strong meters facilitate the encoding of between-group intervals and improve discrimination (Handel, 1998;Hébert & Cuddy, 2002;Ross & Houtsma, 1994). Meter is a hierarchical structure that gives rise to the perception of regular patterns of strong and weak beats embedded within larger scale patterns of strong and weak beats (Lerdahl & Jackendoff, 1983; see Fig.…”

Influence of a tone’s tonal function on temporal change detection

“…Listeners are sensitive to temporal regularities and develop temporal expectations about "when" future events will occur (see, e.g., Fraisse, 1974;Jones, 1976;Longuet-Higgins & Lee, 1984;Povel, 1981). Temporal processing has been studied not only with clicks (e.g., Essens & Povel, 1985, Experiment 1;Halpern & Darwin, 1982; and repeated tones (e.g., Drake & Botte, 1993;Ehrlé & Samson, 2005;Essens & Povel, 1985, Experiments 2 and 3;Hébert & Cuddy, 2002;Hirsh, Monahan, Grant, & Singh, 1990;Hyde & Peretz, 2004), but also with tones in musical contexts (e.g., Drake, 1993;Drake, Penel, & Bigand, 2000;Jones & Boltz, 1989;Repp, 1998c). Temporal expectations lead to processing advantages for metrical sequences over nonmetrical (or weakly metrical) ones in production (e.g., Patel, Iversen, Chen, & Repp, 2005), perception (e.g., Large & Jones, 1999;Tillmann & Lebrun-Guillaud, 2006;Yee, Holleran, & Jones, 1994), and memory (e.g., Bharucha & Pryor, 1986;Hébert & Cuddy, 2002).…”

“…Temporal processing has been studied not only with clicks (e.g., Essens & Povel, 1985, Experiment 1;Halpern & Darwin, 1982; and repeated tones (e.g., Drake & Botte, 1993;Ehrlé & Samson, 2005;Essens & Povel, 1985, Experiments 2 and 3;Hébert & Cuddy, 2002;Hirsh, Monahan, Grant, & Singh, 1990;Hyde & Peretz, 2004), but also with tones in musical contexts (e.g., Drake, 1993;Drake, Penel, & Bigand, 2000;Jones & Boltz, 1989;Repp, 1998c). Temporal expectations lead to processing advantages for metrical sequences over nonmetrical (or weakly metrical) ones in production (e.g., Patel, Iversen, Chen, & Repp, 2005), perception (e.g., Large & Jones, 1999;Tillmann & Lebrun-Guillaud, 2006;Yee, Holleran, & Jones, 1994), and memory (e.g., Bharucha & Pryor, 1986;Hébert & Cuddy, 2002). In isochronous sequences, temporal expectations lead to higher processing accuracy for events occurring (or intervals ending) at expected time points in contrast to events occurring (or intervals ending) earlier or later than expected (e.g., Barnes & Jones, 2000;Jones, Johnston, & Puente, 2006;Jones, Moynihan, MacKenzie, & Puente, 2002;Large & Jones, 1999;McAuley & Jones, 2003;Repp, 1992Repp, , 1999.…”

Prosody perception and musical pitch discrimination in adults using cochlear implants

“…Trials for the Metric Task (from Hébert & Cuddy, 2002), the Rhythmic subtest of the Montreal Battery for Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA; Peretz, Champod & Hyde, 2003), the Distorted Tunes Test (DTT; Drayna, Manichaikul, de Lange, Snieder & Spector, 2001), the Music Emotion Task (Veillard, Peretz, Gosselin, Khalfa, Gagnon & Bouchard, 2007), the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy Scale 2 (DANVA2; Nowicki & Duke, 1994;Baum & Nowicki, 1998) …”