scholarly journals Space oddity: musical syntax is mapped onto visual space

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neta B. Maimon ◽  
Dominique Lamy ◽  
Zohar Eitan
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Perception ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Lateral Position ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Musical Structure ◽  
Spatial Metaphors ◽  
Musical Syntax ◽  
Musical Discourse ◽  
New Type

AbstractIncreasing evidence has uncovered associations between the cognition of abstract schemas and spatial perception. Here we examine such associations for Western musical syntax, tonality. Spatial metaphors are ubiquitous when describing tonality: stable, closural tones are considered to be spatially central and, as gravitational foci, spatially lower. We investigated whether listeners, musicians and nonmusicians, indeed associate tonal relationships with visuospatial dimensions, including spatial height, centrality, laterality, and size, implicitly or explicitly, and whether such mappings are consistent with established metaphors. In the explicit paradigm, participants heard a tonality-establishing prime followed by a probe tone and coupled each probe with a subjectively appropriate location (Exp.1) or size (Exp.4). The implicit paradigm used a version of the Implicit Association Test to examine associations of tonal stability with vertical position (Exp.2), lateral position (Exp3) and size (Exp.5). Tonal stability was indeed associated with perceived physical space: the spatial distances between the locations associated with different scale-degrees significantly correlated with the tonal stability differences between these scale-degrees. However, inconsistently with musical discourse, stable tones were associated with leftward (instead of central) and higher (instead of lower) spatial positions. We speculate that these mappings are influenced by emotion, embodying the “good is up” metaphor, and by the spatial structure of music keyboards. Taken together, the results demonstrate a new type of cross-modal correspondence and a hitherto under-researched connotative function of musical structure. Importantly, the results suggest that the spatial mappings of an abstract domain may be independent of the spatial metaphors used to describe that domain.

scholarly journals Space Oddity: Musical Syntax is Mapped onto Visual Space

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neta Batya Maimon ◽  
Dominique Lamy ◽  
Zohar Eitan
Keyword(s):  
Implicit Association Test ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Lateral Position ◽  
Implicit Associations ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Musical Structure ◽  
Musical Discourse ◽  
New Type ◽  
The Stability

Abstract Musicians ubiquitously apply spatial metaphors when describing the stability hierarchy established by tonal syntax: stable tones are considered spatially central and, as gravitational foci, spatially lower. We investigated whether listeners, musicians and non-musicians, indeed associate tonal relationships with visuospatial dimensions, including spatial height, centrality, laterality, and size, and whether such mappings are consistent with tonal discourse. We examined explicit and implicit associations. In the explicit paradigm, participants heard a tonality-establishing prime followed by a probe tone and coupled each probe with a subjectively appropriate location on a two-dimensional grid (Exp. 1) or with one of 7 circles differing in size (Exp. 4). The implicit paradigm used a version of the Implicit Association Test to examine associations of tonal stability with vertical position (Exp. 2), lateral position (Exp. 3) and object size (Exp. 5). Tonal stability was indeed as- sociated with perceived physical space: the spatial distances between the locations associated with different scale-degrees significantly correlated with the tonal stability differences between these scale degrees. However, inconsistently with the hypotheses implied by musical discourse, stable tones were associated with leftward and higher spatial positions, relative to unstable tones, rather than with central and lower spatial positions. We speculate that these mappings are influenced by emotion, embodying the “good is up” metaphor, and by the spatial structure of music keyboards. Taken together, results suggest that abstract syntactical relationships may consistently map onto concrete perceptual dimensions across modalities, demonstrating a new type of cross-modal cor- respondence and a hitherto under-researched connotative function of musical structure.

scholarly journals Influence of the Instructions on the Performance and Establishment of Memorization Strategies in Space Judgments

2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Ackel Rodrigues ◽  
Susi Lippi Marques
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Power Function ◽  
Mental Representation ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Internal Representation ◽  
Space Perception ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Experimental Configuration

Studies of visual space perception have been assuming that people have an internal representation of the physical space that surrounds them. A variety of psychophysical procedures has been used in an attempt to measure the properties of visual space. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of the mental representation and the strategies adopted to acquire and retain visuo-spatial information of a configuration as a function of two types of instructions. Thirty-eight undergraduate and graduate students participated in the study and were distributed in perceptive and mnemonic experimental conditions. The effect of the instructions (intentional and incidental) on the representation of the distances among the objects of the scene was estimated using exponents of power function, based on the reproduction of the distances among the stimuli of the scene. The results revealed that judgments made under intentional instructions were more frequently based on strategies related to the location of the stimuli, whereas judgments originating from incidental instructions were based on strategies related to the name of the stimuli. It was observed that the intentional instruction facilitated a more accurate mental representation of the observed experimental configuration, enhancing participants' performance.

Why is binocular visual space distorted compared to physical space ?

2002 ◽  
Vol 44-46 ◽  
pp. 907-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taro Maeda ◽  
Eimei Oyama ◽  
Susumu Tachi
Keyword(s):  
Physical Space ◽  
Visual Space

On a New Type of Vibrating Lift

1980 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-269
Author(s):  
J. Inoue ◽  
Y. Araki ◽  
S. Kubo
Keyword(s):  
The Self ◽  
The Other ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Horizontal Position ◽  
Linear Vibration ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Asynchronous Motors ◽  
Rotational Vibration ◽  
New Type ◽  
The Right

This paper investigates in detail the new vibrating lift made by utilizing the principle of the self-synchronization of mechanical vibrators. In a general way products ride up inclined way of the spiral trough of a vibrating lift, propelled by forces generated by two unbalanced rotors connected by the gear and driven by a motor, which are mounted on top of the structure in a horizontal position. This machine is a new type of vibrating lift. The axes of two unbalanced rotors are nonparallel and each driven by two asynchronous motors. One motor is positioned on the right hand side and the other is situated on the left hand side of the structure in a vertical position. In spite of the absence of any connection between two rotors, they rotate at the same speed and have the definite phase angle between them as the result of the phenomena of the self-synchronization under a certain condition. This phenomenon is also called entrainment. Accordingly, by the linear vibration in the direction of the axis of the structure and rotational vibration about the axis of the structure by two unbalanced rotors, products ride up inclined way of the spiral trough.

Visual Space and Physical Space

1951 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33
Author(s):  
Henry D. Grossfeld
Keyword(s):  
Physical Space ◽  
Visual Space

scholarly journals On Riemannian Geometries of Visual Space

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacek Turski
Keyword(s):  
Riemannian Geometry ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Gaze Direction ◽  
Relative Depth ◽  
Metric Tensor ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
Zero Curvature ◽  
Riemannian Geometries ◽  
Straight Lines

This is a study of the phenomenal geometries constructed in the Riemannian geometry framework from simulated iso-disparity conics in the horizontal visual plane of the binocular system with the asymmetric eyes (AEs). The iso-disparity conic's arcs in the Cyclopean direction are the frontal visual geodesics. For the eyes' resting vergence posture, which depends on parameters of the AE, the iso-disparity conics are frontal straight lines in physical space. For all other fixations, the iso-disparity conics consist of families of the ellipses or hyperbolas depending on both the AE's parameters and the bifoveal fixation. An assumption underlying the relevant architecture of the human visual system is combined with results from simulated iso-disparity straight lines, giving the relative depth as a function of the distance. This establishes the metric tensor in binocular space of fixations for the eyes' resting vergence posture. The resulting geodesics in the gaze direction, give the distance to the horizon and zero curvature. For all other fixations, only the sign of the curvature can be inferred from the global behavior of the simulated iso-disparity conics.

Auditory Psychomotor Coordination

1988 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Perrott
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Reaction Time ◽  
Auditory System ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Visual Target ◽  
Lateral Position ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Lateral Field ◽  
Initial Line

A series of choice-reaction time experiments are described in which subjects were required to locate and identify the information contained on a small visual target. Across trials, the lateral position of the target was randomly varied across a 240° region (± 120° relative to the subject's initial line of gaze). The vertical position of the target was either fixed at 0° elevation or varied by ± 46°. Whether the target was in the forward or lateral field, a significant reduction in the visual search period was evident when an acoustic signal indicated the location of the visual target. Auditory spatial information was particularly effective in improving performance when the position of the target was varied in elevation or the target was located in the rear field. The current results support the notion that the auditory system can be used to direct eye-head movements toward a remote visual target.

TOPOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS FOR QUASICRYSTALS

1989 ◽  
Vol 03 (06) ◽  
pp. 877-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.A. KALUGIN ◽  
L.S. LEVITOV
Keyword(s):  
Physical Space ◽  
Icosahedral Symmetry ◽  
Topological Constraints ◽  
Icosahedral Quasicrystals ◽  
New Type ◽  
Quasiperiodic Structure

Topological constraints necessary for the existence of icosahedral quasicrystals having continuous phasons are found. As a result of application of these constraints a model of a new type for icosahedral quasicrystals is constructed. The “atomic surfaces” in R6 in this model are free of discontinuities, i.e. the displacements of atoms are continuous as functions of a phason shift. The positions of atoms in the physical space R3 from 60 interpenetrating rhombohedral lattices. The model exhibits diffraction properties of an ideal quasiperiodic structure and has perfect icosahedral symmetry.

scholarly journals One-Dimensional and Multi-Dimensional Studies of the Exocentric Distance Estimates in Frontoparallel Plane, Virtual Space, and Outdoor Open Field

2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Antonio Aznar-Casanova ◽  
Elton H. Matsushima ◽  
Nilton P. Ribeiro-Filho ◽  
José A. Da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Open Field ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Frontoparallel Plane ◽  
Field Range ◽  
Exocentric Distance ◽  
Scaling Analyses

The aim of this study is twofold: on the one hand, to determine how visual space, as assessed by exocentric distance estimates, is related to physical space. On the other hand, to determine the structure of visual space as assessed by exocentric distance estimates. Visual space was measured in three environments: (a) points located in a 2-D frontoparallel plane, covering a range of distances of 20 cm; (b) stakes placed in a 3-D virtual space (range ≈ 330 mm); and (c) stakes in a 3-D outdoors open field (range = 45 m). Observers made matching judgments of distances between all possible pairs of stimuli, obtained from 16 stimuli (in a regular squared 4 × 4 matrix). Two parameters from Stevens' power law informed us about the distortion of visual space: its exponent and its coefficient of determination (R2). The results showed a ranking of the magnitude of the distortions found in each experimental environment, and also provided information about the efficacy of available visual cues of spatial layout. Furthermore, our data are in agreement with previous findings showing systematic perceptual errors, such as the further the stimuli, the larger the distortion of the area subtended by perceived distances between stimuli. Additionally, we measured the magnitude of distortion of visual space relative to physical space by a parameter of multidimensional scaling analyses, the RMSE. From these results, the magnitude of such distortions can be ranked, and the utility or efficacy of the available visual cues informing about the space layout can also be inferred.

The Traditional and the Innovative in the Dramaturgy and Composition of Béla Bartók’s Ballets

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 626-637
Author(s):  
Anna P. Navetnaya
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Modern Dance ◽  
Bela Bartok ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Musical Structure ◽  
New Type ◽  
Classical Ballet ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Classical Subject ◽  
New Generation

This article investigates the development of the 20th century ballet genre on the example of the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók (1881—1945). The study aims to reveal the features of B. Bartók’s ballets in the context of trends in Western European art of the 20th century and to show the composer’s innovative techniques. The article identifies specific musical formative means that reflect the genre definition of “pantomime”, and emphasizes his innovation. The early 20th century ballet art is an extremely bright phenomenon associated with the active search for new ways of developing the genre, which took place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Classical ballet, which had reached its peak in the works of the Russian ballet school and the works of M. Petipa, was suddenly recognized as outdated and unviable. The new generation of choreographers sought to refute, to a certain extent, the genre’s old laws. The idea of searching for new means of expression became the leading one, and the canon of classical choreography was replaced by pantomime and a new unusual dance technique, which later became known as modern dance. B. Bartók’s ballets “The Wooden Prince” (1917) and “The Miraculous Mandarin” (1919) are examples of the new type of ballet performance of the early 20th century. The article shows that the composer focused on creating a symphonic score corresponding to the ideas of pantomime. His appeal to this had been primarily dictated by the librettos themselves, in which B. Balázs and M. Lengyel had defined the work character in this way. Naturally, the rejection of classical ballet’s traditional forms influenced the works’ compositional features. The article demonstrates that the scores of “The Wooden Prince” and “The Miraculous Mandarin” are distinguished by a new approach to the musical structure, in which the principles of instrumental forms play a significant role. At the same time, each of the ballets expresses the dialectical pair of “canon and heuristic” in its own way: “The Wooden Prince” retains to a certain extent the flair of classical ballet; in “The Miraculous Mandarin”, this genre pattern is violated almost ostentatiously. In this work, B. Bartók’s appeal to such an anti-classical subject reflects the era’s new trends associated with the artistic movement of expressionism. In the Hungarian composer’s ballets, the dualism of the traditional and the innovative gives rise to a different type of ballet score itself.

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