Haskins Publications

Number	1637
Year	2011
Drawer	28
Entry Date	08/08/2011
Authors	Villing, R.C., Repp, B.H., Ward, T.E., Timoney, J.M.
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Publication	Attention Percept Psychophys, 2011, v. 73, pp. 1614-1629
url	http://www.haskins.yale.edu/Reprints/HL1637.pdf
Abstract	The perceptual center (P-center) is fundamental to the timing of heterogeneous event sequences, including music and speech. Unfortunately, there is currently no comprehensive and reliable model of P-centers in acoustic events, so P-centers must instead be measured empirically. This study reviews existing measurement methods and evaluates two methods in detail—the rhythm adjustment method and a new method based on the phase correction response (PCR) in a synchronous tapping task. The two methods yielded consistent P-center estimates and showed no evidence of P-center context dependence. The PCR method appears promising because it is accurate and efficient and does not require explicit perceptual judgments. As a secondary result, the magnitude of the PCR is shown to vary systematically with the onset complexity of speech sounds,which presumably reflects the perceived clarity of a sound’s P-center.
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