The Role of Melodic and Temporal Cues in Perceiving Musical Meter.

A number of different cues allow listeners to perceive musical meter. Three experiments examined effects of melodic and temporal accents on perceived meter in excerpts from folk songs scored in 6/8 or 3/4 meter. Participants matched excerpts with 1 of 2 metrical drum accompaniments. Melodic accents included contour change, melodic leaps, registral extreme, melodic repetition, and harmonic rhythm. Two experiments with isochronous melodies showed that contour change and melodic repetition predicted judgments. For longer melodies in the 2nd experiment, variables predicted judgments best at the beginning of excerpts. The final experiment, with rhythmically varied melodies, showed that temporal accents, tempo, and contour change were the strongest predictors of meter. The authors' findings suggest that listeners combine multiple melodic and temporal features to perceive musical meter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nonlinear and nonlocal continuum model of transformation precursors in martensites

An intrinsic mechanism for explaining the origin of the transformation precursors observed above the transition in the parent phase of many materials undergoing a martensitic transformation is proposed. It is based on a nonlinear and nonlocal elastic continuum model for the elastic displacement field describing the parent-product deformation for the two-dimensional analog of a cubic-tetragonal transformation. By minimizing the Landau-Ginzburg free energy functional for the total elastic (strain plus strain gradient) energy a static, possibly stable, continuous, periodically modulated {110}/〈110〉 strain pattern is obtained which corresponds to alternating layers of more and of less transformed material, consistent with experimental observations. This pattern is stabilized by the balance between nonlinear and nonlocal elastic effects. Numerical application to In_1-x XT _x , alloys gives the minimum period of the modulation in the order of nanometers, in agreement with experimental observations.     

Self-consistent calculations of elastic constants of polycrystalline graphite

This paper reports the application of a self-consistent integral equation technique to the calculation of the elastic constants of polycrystalline graphite. The self-consistent expressions used in this paper are restricted to spherical grains and pores and neglect correlation among grains and pores. A model of graphite based upon the assumption that the grains are cracked crystals was used with the self-consistent expressions to account for the elastic constants of three isotropic or mildly anisotropic graphites to within approximately 6% and for the elastic constants of a more anisotropic graphite to within approximately 20%.     

Thermochemistry and Aqueous Durability of Ternary Glass Forming Ba-Titanosilicates: Fresnoite (Ba2TiSi2O8) and Ba-Titanite (BaTiSiO5)

Barium titanosilicates are possible oxide forms for the immobilization of short-lived fission products in radioactive waste. Ba₂TiSi₂O₈ (fresnoite) and BaTiSiO₅ (Ba-titanite) samples were prepared by a solid-state synthesis. The enthalpies of formation of Ba₂TiSi₂O₈ crystal and glass at 25°C and of BaTiSiO₅ glass were obtained from drop solution calorimetry in a molten lead borate (2PbO–B₂O₃) solvent at 701°C. The enthalpy of formation for fresnoite composition samples from constituent oxides was exothermic and became more exothermic with increasing crystallinity. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that the crystallization rate of the fresnoite glasses increased with increasing devitrification. A modified Product Consistency Test-Procedure B (PCT-B) was used to collect solubility data on the fresnoite and titanate phases. The tests suggest that both glassy and crystalline fresnoite exhibit favorable aqueous stability and should be explored further as radioactive waste forms for long-term storage.     

Compatibility of motion facilitates visuomotor synchronization.

Prior research indicates that synchronized tapping performance is very poor with flashing visual stimuli compared with auditory stimuli. Three finger-tapping experiments compared flashing visual metronomes with visual metronomes containing a spatial component, either compatible, incompatible, or orthogonal to the tapping action. In Experiment 1, synchronization success rates increased dramatically for spatiotemporal sequences of both geometric and biological forms over flashing sequences. In Experiment 2, synchronization performance was best when target sequences and movements were directionally compatible (i.e., simultaneously down), followed by orthogonal stimuli, and was poorest for incompatible moving stimuli and flashing stimuli. In Experiment 3, synchronization performance was best with auditory sequences, followed by compatible moving stimuli, and was worst for flashing and fading stimuli. Results indicate that visuomotor synchronization improves dramatically with compatible spatial information. However, an auditory advantage in sensorimotor synchronization persists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pitch and rhythmic patterns affecting infants' sensitivity to musical phrase structure.

The present studies were undertaken to learn more about the nature of the cues that underlie infants' perception of musical phrase structure. Exp 1 demonstrated that infants in C. L. Krumhansl and P. W. Jusczyk's (1990) study were responding to the phrase structure instead of to the beginnings and endings of Mozart minuet stimuli. Exp 2 showed that infants treat musical passages with pauses inserted at phrase boundaries much as they do unaltered versions of the same passages. Exps 3 and 4 indicated that the direction of change in pitch height and tone duration is critical to obtaining longer orientation times to musical passages that are segmented at phrase boundaries. Finally, Exp 5 demonstrates that different effects found for the forward and reversed versions of the passages with inserted pauses are not the result of an intrinsic preference for the forward versions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Tonal hierarchies in the music of North India.

Used the probe tone method to quantify the perceived hierarchy of tones of North Indian music. Indian music is tonal and has many features in common with Western music. However, the primary means of expressing tonality in Indian music is through melody, whereas in Western music it is through harmony (the use of chords). Probe tone ratings were given by Indian and Western listeners in the context of 10 North Indian rāgs (a standard set of melodic forms). These ratings confirmed the predicted hierarchical ordering. Both groups of listeners gave the highest ratings to the tonic and the 5th degree of the scale. The ratings of both groups of listeners generally reflected the pattern of tone durations in the musical contexts. This result suggests that the distribution of tones in music is a psychologically effective means of conveying the tonal hierarchy to listeners whether they are familiar with the musical tradition. Only the Indian listeners were sensitive to the scales (thāts) underlying the rāgs. There was little evidence that Western listeners assimilated the pitch materials to the major and minor diatonic system of Western music. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Independent temporal and pitch structures in determination of musical phrases.

In two experiments we addressed the roles of temporal and pitch structures in judgments of melodic phrases. Musical excerpts were rated on how good or complete a phrase they made. In Experiment 1, trials in the temporal condition retained the original temporal pattern but were equitonal; trials in the pitch condition retained the original pitch pattern but were equitemporal; and trials in the melody condition contained both temporal and pitch patterns. In Experiment 2, one pattern (pitch or temporal) was shifted in phase and recombined with the other pattern to create the pitch and temporal conditions. In the melody condition, both patterns were shifted together. In both experiments, ratings in the temporal and pitch conditions were uncorrelated, and the melody condition ratings were accurately predicted by a linear combination of the pitch and temporal condition ratings. These results were consistent across musicians with varying levels of experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)