The Effect of Auditory Pulse Clarity on Sensorimotor Synchronization

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between auditory pulse clarity and sensorimotor synchronization performance, along with the influence of musical training. 29 participants walked in place to looped drum samples with varying degrees of pulse clarity, which were generated by adding artificial reverberation and measured through fluctuation spectrum peakiness. Experimental results showed that reducing auditory pulse clarity affected phase matching through significantly higher means and standard deviations in asynchrony across musical sophistication groups. Referent period matching ability was also degraded, and non-musicians were impacted more than musicians. Subjective ratings of required active concentration also increased with decreasing pulse clarity. These findings point to the importance of clear and distinct pulses to timing performance in synchronization tasks such as music and dance.