Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 1: Containing Sixteen Experimental Investigations from the Harvard Psychological Laboratory.
Science
Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 1: Containing Sixteen Experimental Investigations from the Harvard Psychological Laboratory.
Psychology, Experimental
As preliminary to their special work the members of the experimental
group were tested in regard to the promptness and regularity of their
reactions (by finger flexion) in accompanying a periodically recurrent
stimulus given by the beating of a metronome; records were taken also
of their capacity to estimate and maintain constant time relations by
freely tapping at intervals of one, two and five seconds. Of the
latter type of reaction the records show that a temporal grouping of
the reactions is presented in every rate of tapping. This, owing to
the large absolute intervals, is uniformly in groups of two, the first
member of which is of shorter, the second of longer duration. There is
likewise an intensive differentiation of the alternate reactions. Thus
a double rhythmical treatment appears, but while with intervals of two
seconds the phases of temporal and intensive rhythm coincide, at rates
of one and five seconds they are opposed, that is, the accentuation
falls on the initial reaction which is followed by the shorter
interval. This doubtlessly marks the emergence of that tendency to
initial accentuation which was subsequently found to prevail in all
expression of rhythm.
The types of reaction which these records afford leave no doubt that a
fuller investigation of the matter would show the constant presence,
in all such forms of activity, of a rhythmical automatization of the
series. The special problems which such an investigation should first
resolve, relate to the dependence of the amount of rhythmical
differentiation on the rate of succession among the reactions; the
relation of the form of this reaction series to factors of attention
and control; and the significance, in connection with the process of
rhythmization, of auditory stimuli produced by and accompanying the
reaction series, that is, the comparison of soundless and sounded
reactions.
In the second set of experiments the reactor was directed simply to
accompany the beating of a metronome by a light tapping with the
forefinger on a rubber-surfaced tambour connected with a pneumographic
registering pen, with which was aligned an electrical time-marker also
actuated by the metronome. Three rates of tapping were adopted, 60, 90
and 120 beats per minute. No specific instructions were given as to
direction or keenness of attention on the part of the reactor; the
most natural and simple accompaniment was desired. Occasionally, for
comparison, the reactor was directed to attend closely to each
successive beat as it occurred.
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