Inadequate pitch-difference sensitivity prevents half of all listeners from discriminating major vs minor tone sequences

Abstract

Substantial evidence suggests that sensitivity to the difference between the major vs minor musical scales may be bimodally distributed. Much of this evidence comes from experiments using the “3-task.” On each trial in the 3-task, the listener hears a rapid, random sequence of tones containing equal numbers of notes of either a G major or G minor triad and strives (with feedback) to judge which type of “tone-scramble” it was. This study asks whether the bimodal distribution in 3-task performance is due to variation (across listeners) in sensitivity to differences in pitch. On each trial in a “pitch-difference task,” the listener hears two tones and judges whether the second tone is higher or lower than the first. When the first tone is roved (rather than fixed throughout the task), performance varies dramatically across listeners with median threshold approximately equal to a quarter-tone. Strikingly, nearly all listeners with thresholds higher than a quarter-tone performed near chance in the 3-task. Across listeners with thresholds below a quarter-tone, 3-task performance was uniformly distributed from chance to ceiling; thus, the large, lower mode of the distribution in 3-task performance is produced mainly by listeners with roved pitch-difference thresholds greater than a quarter-tone.

Pitch height and mode have asymmetrical effects on the perception of mixed emotions in seventh chords

“…The authors concede that there is a "modest" correlation between performance and musical training but purport that it cannot sufficiently explain the entirety of the findings. The study, as well as Chubb's subsequent work (e.g., Ho et al, 2022;Mednicoff et al, 2018), argue that different forms of expertise may inform differing frameworks of emotional perception. Taking these conclusions into consideration, it is possible that those who cannot easily distinguish between major and minor modalities, whether due to lack of musical training or otherwise, are more inclined to attend to pitch height in making their emotional associations.…”

Human Sensorimotor Activity as a Factor of Cognitive Resource Development

“…Несмотря на то что вышеупомянутые авторы являются последователями идей В. Н. В зарубежной литературе нет однозначного определения понятия когнитивный ресурс. Некоторые авторы опираются на теорию когнитивного ресурса Ф. Фидлера [7][8][9], не раскрывая в своих работах психологическое содержание этого феномена. Тем не менее можно выделить несколько основных видов понимании когнитивного ресурса:…”