Haskins Publications

Number	1320
Year	2003
Drawer	25
Entry Date	01/23/2008
Authors	Repp, B.H.
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Publication	Journal of Motor Behavior, 2003 Vol. 35, No.4, pp. 355-370.
url	http://www.haskins.yale.edu/Reprints/HL1320.pdf
Abstract	Synchronization of finger taps with an isochronous event sequence becomes difficult when the event rate exceeds a certain limit. In Experiment 1, the synchronization threshold was reached at interonset intervals (IOIs) above 100ms with auditorytone sequences (in a 1:4 tapping task) but at IOIs above 400ms with visual flash sequences (1:1 tapping). Using IOIs above those limits, the author investigated in Experiment 2 the reduction in the variability of asynchronies that tends to occur when the interval between target events are subdivided by additional identical events (1:1 vs. 1:n tapping). The subdivision benefit was found to decrease with IOI duration and to turn into a cost at IOIs of 200-250ms in Auditory sequences and at IOIs of 450-500ms in visual sequences. The auditory results are relevant to the limits of metrical subdivision and beat rate in music. The visual results demonstrate the remarkably weak rhythmicity of (nonmoving) visual stimuli.
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