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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Bouncing Ball with a Uniformly Varying Velocity in a Metronome Synchronization Task
Published on: September 21, 2017
Compatibility of motion facilitates visuomotor synchronization
Michael J Hove1, Michael J Spivey, Carol L Krumhansl
1Music Cognition and Action Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. michaeljhove@gmail.com
Abstract:
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.
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