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Working memory and auditory imagery predict sensorimotor synchronisation with expressively timed music.

Ian D Colley1,2, Peter E Keller2, Andrea R Halpern1

  • 11 Department of Psychology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA.

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)
|August 12, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Individual differences in working memory and auditory imagery influence sensorimotor synchronisation (SMS) with musical beats. Working memory aids anticipation, while imagery impacts perception of expressive timing.

Keywords:
Working memoryauditory imageryexpressive musicmusic cognitionsensorimotor synchronisation

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Music Psychology

Background:

  • Sensorimotor synchronisation (SMS) is the ability to align movements with external rhythms, commonly studied in musical contexts.
  • Real music often features expressive timing, presenting dynamic challenges to synchronisation beyond a steady beat.
  • Individual cognitive differences may explain variations in SMS performance, particularly with complex temporal patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how individual differences in working memory and auditory imagery affect sensorimotor synchronisation with expressive musical timing.
  • To differentiate the roles of working memory and auditory imagery in both reactive and anticipatory aspects of SMS.
  • To examine the contribution of auditory imagery to the perception of expressive timing independently of motor action.

Main Methods:

  • Experiment 1: Assessed working memory capacity and auditory imagery skills, then measured SMS performance (mean absolute asynchrony and anticipatory timing) during a finger-tapping task with expressive music.
  • Hierarchical regression analyses were employed to model the predictive relationships between cognitive factors and SMS metrics.
  • Experiment 2: Evaluated participants' ability to perceive expressive timing without a motor task, focusing on the role of auditory imagery vividness and control.

Main Results:

  • Working memory significantly predicted anticipatory timing in SMS, suggesting a role in predicting upcoming musical events.
  • Specific types of auditory imagery showed dissociations in predicting mean absolute asynchrony (synchronisation error).
  • Imagery vividness was crucial for perceiving expressive musical timing, while control was important for synchronisation with irregular rhythms.

Conclusions:

  • Working memory is vital for anticipatory sensorimotor synchronisation, enabling prediction of events in dynamic musical sequences.
  • Auditory imagery plays a distinct role in both the perception and execution of synchronisation with expressive musical timing.
  • Understanding individual cognitive differences enhances our knowledge of how humans interact with complex, real-world musical rhythms.