Recently, a team of researchers discovered that humans from different societies are more likely to perceive and generate rhythms based on simple whole-number ratios, such as a uniform beat pattern with a 1:1:1 ratio.
But what’s really interesting about this study, which spanned 15 countries and included participants from 39 diverse groups, is that while universal tendencies toward certain rhythmic structures exist, specific preferences for these ratios The finding is that there can be significant differences between cultures.
Cultural nature of rhythmic perception
One of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, this study provides deep insight into the nature of music perception and cognition, suggesting both universal and culturally distinct elements. .
“Our study provides the clearest evidence to date of some degree of universality in music perception and cognition, in that all groups of participants tested show an integer ratio bias. “It also gives us a glimpse into the differences that can occur between cultures, which can be quite large,” said Dr. said study lead author Nori Jacoby.
This statement highlights the dual contribution of this study to our understanding of music cognition. While it confirms universal prejudices, it also highlights the rich tapestry of cultural diversity in musical rhythm preferences.
mental expression of rhythm
Researchers suggest that the brain’s bias toward simple whole-number ratios may act as an inherent error-correction mechanism, facilitating the preservation and consistent transmission of musical knowledge across human societies. .
“When creating music, people often make small mistakes. Our results are consistent with the idea that our mental representations are somewhat robust to those mistakes, but “It’s robust in the sense that it pushes us against existing ideas about the structure that should be seen in the world,” explained Josh McDermott, lead author of the study. Associate Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT.
This hypothesis provides an interesting glimpse into how our cognitive processes shape and preserve musical traditions that are crucial to human culture.
perceive different rhythms
Based on a 2017 comparative analysis between American listeners and Bolivian Tsimane communities, this new study significantly expands the geographic and cultural scope of the investigation.
The inclusion of 39 groups from diverse backgrounds, from North America to Asia, from traditional societies to modern urban populations, marks this study as unprecedented in its scale and ambition. I am. Through a rigorous experimental procedure that asked participants to reproduce and refine a series of beats, the researchers were able to map out the implicit rhythmic biases, or priors, that individuals bring to the task.
Preference for different rhythmic structures
Despite a universal tendency towards simple rhythmic ratios, this study revealed considerable variation across cultures in the specific ratios preferred. For example, participants from North America and Western Europe showed biases that were broadly consistent with those commonly found in Western music, whereas groups from Turkey, Mali, Bulgaria, and Botswana showed a preference for different rhythmic structures. .
This variation highlights the influence of cultural context on music cognition and highlights the complexity of mapping the global landscape of rhythm cognition.
Capturing human musical diversity
The research team’s global approach also highlights an important methodological insight in the field of music cognition: the importance of diversifying study populations.
“What is very clear from this paper is that looking only at results for undergraduates around the world vastly underestimates the diversity that would otherwise be seen,” Jacoby said. This recognition emphasizes the need to conduct research within a wide range of communities to fully capture human musical diversity.
wider impact
In conclusion, this groundbreaking research not only illuminates universal aspects of rhythmic perception, but also paves the way to further explore the cultural nuances that define our musical experiences.
The researchers plan to extend the study to other aspects of music cognition, and the insights gained from this study will help us understand the complex interplay between our cognitive biases and the cultural contexts in which they emerge. It serves as a basis for
Emphasizing the need for global, community-based research approaches, McDermott emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and diversity in uncovering the richness of human musical perception and perception.
The research will be published in a journal nature human behavior.
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