Sequence Memory in Music Performance

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 247-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Musical Experience ◽  
Temporal Properties ◽  
Sequential Structure ◽  
Complex Sequences ◽  
Children's Memory ◽  
Sequence Memory ◽  
Performance Conditions

How do people remember and produce complex sequences like music or speech? Music provides an example of excellent sequence memory under fast performance conditions; novices as well as skilled musicians can perform memorized music rapidly, without making mistakes. In addition, musical pitches repeat often within a melodic sequence in different orders, yet people do not confuse the sequential ordering; temporal properties of musical pitches aid sequence memory. I describe a contextual model of sequence memory that is sensitive to the rate at which musical sequences are produced and to individual differences among performers. Age and musical experience differentiate adults' and children's memory for musical sequences during performance. Performers' memory for the sequential structure of one melody transfers or generalizes to other melodies in terms of the sequence of pitch events, their temporal properties, and their movements. Motion-analysis techniques provide further views of the time course of the cognitive processes that make sequence memory for music so accurate.

Behavioral Time Course of Microstimulation in Cortical Area MT

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 334-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Y. Masse ◽  
Erik P. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Behavioral Effects ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Temporal Properties ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Electrophysiological Studies ◽  
Excitatory Component ◽  
Sensory Neural

Electrical stimulation of the brain is a valuable research tool and has shown therapeutic promise in the development of new sensory neural prosthetics. Despite its widespread use, we still do not fully understand how current passed through a microelectrode interacts with functioning neural circuits. Past behavioral studies have suggested that weak electrical stimulation (referred to as microstimulation) of sensory areas of cortex produces percepts that are similar to those generated by normal sensory stimuli. In contrast, electrophysiological studies using in vitro or anesthetized preparations have shown that neural activity produced by brief microstimulation is radically different and longer lasting than normal responses. To help reconcile these two aspects of microstimulation, we examined the temporal properties that microstimulation has on visual perception. We found that brief application of subthreshold microstimulation in the middle temporal (MT) area of visual cortex produced smaller and longer-lasting effects on motion perception compared with an equivalent visual stimulus. In agreement with past electrophysiological studies, a computer simulation reproduced our behavioral effects when the time course of a single microstimulation pulse was modeled with three components: an immediate fast strong excitatory component, followed by a weaker inhibitory component, and then followed by a long duration weak excitatory component. Overall, these results suggest the behavioral effects of microstimulation in our experiments were caused by the unique and long-lasting temporal effects microstimulation has on functioning cortical circuits.

scholarly journals Synchronized practice helps bearded capuchin monkeys learn to extend attention while learning a tradition

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (30) ◽  
pp. 7798-7805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy M. Fragaszy ◽  
Yonat Eshchar ◽  
Elisabetta Visalberghi ◽  
Briseida Resende ◽  
Kellie Laity ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Sustained Attention ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Capuchin Monkeys ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Nut Cracking ◽  
Nonhuman Species ◽  
Over Time

Culture extends biology in that the setting of development shapes the traditions that individuals learn, and over time, traditions evolve as occasional variations are learned by others. In humans, interactions with others impact the development of cognitive processes, such as sustained attention, that shape how individuals learn as well as what they learn. Thus, learning itself is impacted by culture. Here, we explore how social partners might shape the development of psychological processes impacting learning a tradition. We studied bearded capuchin monkeys learning a traditional tool-using skill, cracking nuts using stone hammers. Young monkeys practice components of cracking nuts with stones for years before achieving proficiency. We examined the time course of young monkeys’ activity with nuts before, during, and following others’ cracking nuts. Results demonstrate that the onset of others’ cracking nuts immediately prompts young monkeys to start handling and percussing nuts, and they continue these activities while others are cracking. When others stop cracking nuts, young monkeys sustain the uncommon actions of percussing and striking nuts for shorter periods than the more common actions of handling nuts. We conclude that nut-cracking by adults can promote the development of sustained attention for the critical but less common actions that young monkeys must practice to learn this traditional skill. This work suggests that in nonhuman species, as in humans, socially specified settings of development impact learning processes as well as learning outcomes. Nonhumans, like humans, may be culturally variable learners.

Attributional Theory in investigating public music performance in higher music education

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Francisca Schneider Grings ◽  
Liane Hentschke
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Music Students ◽  
Musical Experience ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Probabilistic Survey ◽  
Attributional Theory ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire ◽  
Musical Activities

The purpose of this research was to investigate the causes attributed by undergraduate music students to situations of failure and success in public music performance. Attributional Theory has been used in this research as the theoretical framework to understand how situations of success and failure are interpreted by the person of the activity. The analysis was conducted from an Intrapersonal perspective of motivation, i.e., how the attributions made by the students doing an undergraduate course in music revealed their notions and beliefs. The methodology used included a non-probabilistic survey and the data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire involving 130 undergraduate music students of southern Brazil. The results show that in situations considered to be successful, the most frequent attributed causes are effort (77.7%), persistence (65.4%), and interest in the performance (63.1%), whereas in situations considered to be failures the most important aspects are emotional (60.8%), difficulty of the task (36.2%), and lack of effort (30.8%). This research shows that students who have more musical experience regard their performances as good or excellent, whereas those that have little experience do not view themselves in this way. The data reveal that the greater the importance that is attached to an activity, the more time is spent on preparing for it; in the same way students tend to be more engaged with musical activities and devote more time to them when they are aware of their skills and value them. Music students feel responsible for their results, which shows that they are engaged in their learning and seek to satisfy an inner need to achieve success.

scholarly journals Developing without concepts

2010 ◽  
Vol 33 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 229-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yevdokiya Yermolayeva ◽  
David H. Rakison
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Developmental Time ◽  
Single System ◽  
Data Point ◽  
Modeling Data

AbstractWe evaluate the heterogeneity hypothesis by considering the developmental time course and the mechanism of acquisition of exemplars, prototypes, and theories. We argue that behavioral and modeling data point to a sequential emergence of these three types of concepts within a single system. This suggests that similar or identical underlying cognitive processes – rather than separate ones – underpin representation acquisition.

Effect of Static and Dynamic Heat Pain Stimulus Profiles on the Temporal Dynamics and Interdependence of Pain Qualities, Intensity, and Affect

2008 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 1706-1715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javeria A. Hashmi ◽  
Karen D. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Constant Intensity ◽  
Dynamic Stimuli ◽  
Temporal Properties ◽  
Dynamic Stimulus ◽  
On Line ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
S Peak ◽  
Time To Onset

Acute and chronic pains are characterized by a particular constellation of pain qualities, such as burning, aching, stinging, or sharp feelings. However, the temporal pattern of specific pain qualities and their relationship with pain and affect is not well understood. In addition, little is known about how the temperature time course of the stimulus impacts the temporal dynamics of pain qualities and the relationship between pain qualities. Therefore we applied two types of stimuli to the feet of 16 healthy subjects, each calibrated to evoke a similar pain magnitude (50/100): static stimulus held at constant intensity and dynamic stimulus increased in intensity in small steps. Stimulus runs consisted of three 30-s stimuli (either static or dynamic) with an interstimulus interval of 60 s. Continuous on-line ratings of pain, burning, sharp, stinging, cutting, and annoyance were obtained in separate runs, and the evoked responses were characterized by within-stimulus adaptation (early: 0- to 15-s peak vs. late: 25- to 40-s peak) and by their temporal properties (time to onset, peak, and end). The temporal profile of the burning sensation was similar to the pain and annoyance evoked by the static and dynamic stimuli. However, the sharp, stinging and cutting sensations attenuated in response to the static stimuli ( P < 0.01) but intensified along with pain and affect in response to the dynamic stimuli ( P < 0.05), whereas there was no attenuation in the evoked profiles of pain ( P = 0.61), annoyance ( P = 0.27), or burning quality ( P = 0.27). These data demonstrate that specific pain qualities with known differences in underlying mechanisms have distinct temporal dynamics that depend on the stimulus intensity dynamics.

Ipsilateral Motor Cortex Activity During Unimanual Hand Movements Relates to Task Complexity

2005 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 1209-1222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Verstynen ◽  
Jörn Diedrichsen ◽  
Neil Albert ◽  
Paul Aparicio ◽  
Richard B. Ivry
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Left Hemisphere ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Hand Movements ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Sequential Structure ◽  
Single Finger ◽  
The Right

Functional imaging studies have revealed recruitment of ipsilateral motor areas during the production of sequential unimanual finger movements. This phenomenon is more prominent in the left hemisphere during left-hand movements than in the right hemisphere during right-hand movements. Here we investigate whether this lateralization pattern is related specifically to the sequential structure of the unimanual action or generalizes to other complex movements. Using event-related fMRI, we measured activation changes in the motor cortex during three types of unimanual movements: repetitions of a sequence of movements with multiple fingers, repetitive “chords” composed of three simultaneous key presses, and simple repetitive tapping movements with a single finger. During sequence and chord movements, strong ipsilateral activation was observed and was especially pronounced in the left hemisphere during left-hand movements. This pattern was evident for both right-handed and, to a lesser degree, left-handed individuals. Ipsilateral activation was less pronounced in the tapping condition. The site of ipsilateral activation was shifted laterally, ventrally, and anteriorly with respect to that observed during contralateral movements and the time course of activation implied a role in the execution rather than planning of the movement. A control experiment revealed that strong ipsilateral activity in left motor cortex is specific to complex movements and does not depend on the number of required muscles. These findings indicate a prominent role of left hemisphere in the execution of complex movements independent of the sequential nature of the task.

scholarly journals Isn't It Ironic? An Electrophysiological Exploration of Figurative Language Processing

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Regel ◽  
Thomas C. Gunter ◽  
Angela D. Friederici
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Figurative Language ◽  
Semantic Integration ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Brain Potentials ◽  
Late Positivity ◽  
Figurative Language Processing ◽  
N400 Component

Although the neurocognitive processes underlying the comprehension of figurative language, especially metaphors and idioms, have been studied extensively, less is known about the processing of irony. In two experiments using event-related brain potentials (ERPs), we examined the types of cognitive processes involved in the comprehension of ironic and literal sentences and their relative time course. The experiments varied in modality (auditory, visual), task demands (comprehension task vs. passive reading), and probability of stimulus occurrence. ERPs consistently revealed a large late positivity (i.e., P600 component) in the absence of an N400 component for irony compared to equivalent literal sentences independent of modality. This P600 was shown to be unaffected by the factors task demands and probability of occurrence. Taken together, the findings suggest that the observed P600 is related to irony processing, and might be a reflection of pragmatic interpretation processes. During the comprehension of irony, no semantic integration difficulty arises (absence of N400), but late inferential processes appear to be necessary for understanding ironic meanings (presence of P600). This finding calls for a revision of current models of figurative language processing.

Accent Structures in Music Performance

1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Drake ◽  
Caroline Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Music Performance ◽  
Complex Sequences ◽  
Accent Structure ◽  
Performance Variations ◽  
Musical Sequence

Perceptual studies suggest that the segmentation of a musical sequence is influenced by three accent structures: rhythmic grouping, melodic, and metric accent structures. We investigate whether performers emphasize these types of accents with systematic performance variations (intensity, interonset timing, and articulation). In three experiments, skilled pianists performed sequences of various musical complexities: simple sequences containing only one accent structure (Experiment 1), more complex sequences containing coinciding or conflicting accent structures (Experiment 2), and a concert pianist's performance of a sonata containing coinciding and conflicting accent structures (Experiment 3). In all three musical contexts, similar systematic performance variations were observed in relation to each type of accent. Variations corresponding to rhythmic grouping accents were most consistent across musical contexts and dominated when the accent structures conflicted. These findings suggest perceptual correlates for the accent structures in music performance that may facilitate listeners' segmentation of musical sequences.

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