The inheritance of specific musical capacities.

Abstract

of determi ner) ; probl em of different age groups; rel ati on of musi cal capaci ti es to suppl ementary data; summary of suppl ementary factors for the tiro contrasted groups of tal ent profiles; compari son of hi ghest fi ve per cent and l owest five per cent; general summary; references.The experimental investigation of musical inheritance with members of musical families was initiated in 1920 through the generous cooperation of men1 prominent in the fields of psychology, genetics, and music. The immediate purpose of this investigation is an attempt by means of quantitative methods to secure information regarding the inheritance of certain musical capacities. A more remote purpose is the study of the significance of such specific measures in interpreting the inheritance of the manifold musical capacities which comprise musical talent. A necessary prerequisite to this procedure is the development 1 Dr, C. K. Seashore, Head of (he Department of Phi l osophy and Psychol ogy. State Uni versi ty of Iowa, made the sci enti fi c approach to thi s probl em possi bl e by many years of di rected research in devel opi ng and standardi zi ng measurement s of basi c musi cal capaci ti es. Dr. C. B. Davenport, Di rector of the Department of Geneti cs, Carnegi e Institution of Washi ngton, was personal l y i nstrumental in effecti ng thi s study of i nheri tance. Their constructi ve . suggest i ons and sustai ned i nterest throughout the study were most helpful. I5»HAZEL MARTHA STANTON of the scientific psychology of music in which musical talent can be analysed into basic musical capacities that may be isolated and reliably measured in persons who are musical or unmusical, young or old, trained or untrained.This report of procedure of the results so far obtained serves a three-fold purpose: to record the method of procedure, both general and specific; to classify the data in preparation for further investigation; and to formulate tentative conclusions as to the probable type of inheritance in the light of these data.

Cognitive learning in infancy and early childhood.

“…In one such tabulation, however, Jersild and Bienstock (1934) concluded that many children as young as 4 have developed such abilities as, for example, being able to sing a range of tones equal to those of the average adult. Two studies (Gaw, 1922;Stanton, 1922) at Iowa surveyed musical ability in the schools, using the Seashore measures of musical talent. Both were concerned with weighing the relative contributions of heredity and environment.…”

Mental inheritance and variation.

“…Normal auditory capacities have been studied in their relation to the inheritance of musical ability by Miss Stanton (1922). The sense of pitch, of intensity, and of time may be said from her results to be inherited on a quantitative basis.…”