RHYTHMIC PERCEPTION WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO TEMPORAL STRUCTURATION AND AGE DIFFERENCE

This thesis is a report of an experiment on temporal structuration in rhythmic perception and three experiments on three experiments on rhythmic perception ability with special reference to age differences carried out in Liverpool by the present writer. In chapter I the nature of rhythmic experience and its importance in human behavior are discussed. Rhythmic experience is regarded as essentially a perceptual phenomenon. Chapter II deals with the historical background of the present research.\ud \ud A survey of the literature suggests that there are three principal kinds of studies: The subjective nature of rhythmic experience. Measurement of rhythmic perception ability and its relation to other variables, like age, intelligence, etc. and, Applied aspect of rhythm.\ud \ud The present research is concerned with the first two kinds of studies; they are therefore reviewed and the relation of the present research to them is indicated.\ud \ud Chapter III gives a brief introduction to the four experiments carried out by the writer and describes the equipments used for them. The experiments are described and discussed and discussed in details in the next four chapters.\ud \ud Experiment I is concerned with the effects of duration of sounds on temporal structuration; on the basis of its results certain principles of structuration are established. Experiment II is concerned with the development of rhythmic perception ability in children. It is found that rhythmic perception is closely related to intelligence and develops with age. Experiment III investigates rhythmic perception ability in young and older subjects. Here also a close relationship between rhythmic perception and intelligence is found. A decrease in rhythmic perception is noticed at sixties which appears to be due to age related changes in the central nervous system. Experiments IV investigates rhythmic perception in young and older subjects in relation to two objective conditions of rhythmic rate of presentation of rhythm and number of sounds pm it. Rates of presentation very from 4 sounds per sec. to 14 sounds per sec. and the number of sounds vary from 4 to 8. It is found that with faster rate and increasing number of sounds rhythmic perception becomes more difficult. No significant age difference is found. Thus the difficulties due to faster rate and more sounds seem to be basic to the organism and are not due to any age related changes. Chapter VIII summarises the main conclusions of the present research. In view of the inadequacy of the present state of knowledge about rhythmic perception no attempt is made to formulate an adequate theory of rhythmic perception. Some suggestions for further research are made