Discrimination and Interference in the Recall of Melodic Stimuli

Two studies were designed to investigate the nature of forgetting in regard to melodic stimuli; specifically, the degree to which 400 college-age subjects were able to discriminate identical melodies when extremely similar melodies were interpolated between test and recall melodies. Additionally, an attempt was made to investigate differences that might be attributed to either modal (major-minor) or meter (simple-compound) presentations. In each experiment, nonmusic majors were given a 16 trial stimulus presentation consisting of nine 10-sec. melodies per trial. In each trial, the initial test melody was presented followed by 8 additional melodies. After each of the melody presentations, subjects indicated whether that particular melody was identical to or different from, the first test melody. All 144 melodies for the 16 trials were extremely similar in that they represented 4 alterations of 4 similar original melodies. The original melodies were based on a descending diatonic scale with modal and meter alterations. The first experiment attempted to isolate simple-compound alterations; the second experiment, major-minor alterations. Results indicated that subjects were able to discriminate effectively throughout the stimulus presentations with extremely high accuracy for those specific melodies that were identical to the test melody. In addition, when melodies were identical except for slight modifications, melodies presented in duple meter appeared less susceptible to interference than melodies in triple meter or than melodies having modal changes. As would be expected, accuracy declined across time and across interpolated melodies; however, even after 8 interpolated melodies, subjects recalled the test melody with at least 43% accuracy.

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A Study of Two Approaches to Developing Expressive Performance

Journal of Research in Music Education ◽

10.2307/3345199 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 14-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

David J. Marchand

Keyword(s):

Teaching Strategies ◽

Instructional Methods ◽

Technical Skills ◽

Student Centered ◽

Performance Achievement ◽

College Age ◽

Expressive Performance ◽

Nonmusic Majors ◽

Music Fundamentals ◽

Oriented Approach

The purpose of this project was to: (1) study whether expressive performance could be learned; (2) determine which of two instructional methods, entitled Discovery and Expository, would result in greater expressive performance achievement; and (3) determine what effect music experience had upon such achievement. Secondarily, the study also determined what effect the treatments had upon the variables of aural achievement, knowledge of music facts, and vocal skills. Subjects were college-age nonmusic majors in a music fundamentals program. Three course sections of approximately 30 each allowed comparison of the two noted treatments with a control. Results indicated that: (1) expressive perfcrmance can be learned; (2) technical skills might also be enhanced when expression is emphasized as a learning; (3) the two treatments had similar effects upon aural achievement, knowledge of music facts, and vocal skills; and (4) subjects with higher amounts of experience benefited from the more straightforward, teacher-oriented approach, whereas subjects with less experience benefited from the student-centered, Discovery teaching strategies.

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Effects of Three Different Musical Styles of Background Music on Coding by College-Age Students

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1988.67.1.275 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 67 (1) ◽

pp. 275-280 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

David W. Sogin

Keyword(s):

Background Music ◽

Performance Task ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Environment Analysis ◽

Coordination Problems ◽

College Age ◽

Hand Coordination ◽

Nonmusic Majors ◽

And Task ◽

Classical Background

This study examined the effects of different styles of background music on task performances of college students. In addition, students' perceptions of the music and the effect these perceptions had on performance were investigated. 96 undergraduate nonmusic majors were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups: task only, task and classical background music, task and jazz background music, and task and popular background music. The performance task consisted of 220 eye/hand coordination problems, and a questionnaire was subsequently administered to the task plus background music groups to assess perception of the background environment. Analysis indicated that the experimental conditions had no significant effect on task performance.

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A New 1,000 kV Electron Microscope

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100061318 ◽

1967 ◽

Vol 25 ◽

pp. 260-261

Author(s):

M. Nishigaki ◽

S. Katagiri ◽

H. Kimura ◽

B. Tadano

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscope ◽

High Voltage ◽

Basic Research ◽

Chromatic Aberration ◽

High Accuracy ◽

Biological Specimen ◽

Voltage Electron ◽

High Voltage Electron Microscope ◽

High Voltage Electron

The high voltage electron microscope has many advantageous features in comparison with the ordinary electron microscope. They are a higher penetrating efficiency of the electron, low chromatic aberration, high accuracy of the selected area diffraction and so on. Thus, the high voltage electron microscope becomes an indispensable instrument for the metallurgical, polymer and biological specimen studies. The application of the instrument involves today not only basic research but routine survey in the various fields. Particularly for the latter purpose, the performance, maintenance and reliability of the microscope should be same as those of commercial ones. The authors completed a 500 kV electron microscope in 1964 and a 1,000 kV one in 1966 taking these points into consideration. The construction of our 1,000 kV electron microscope is described below.

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