Thesis Format

Integrated Article

Exploring Beat Perception: Multimodal Perspectives and Training Effects

Zhaleh Mohammad Alipour, The University of Western OntarioFollow

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Neuroscience

Supervisor

Grahn, Jessica, A

2nd Supervisor

Butler, Blake

Joint Supervisor

Abstract

Certain rhythmic sequences spontaneously induce the perception of a beat: a psychologically salient pulse that marks equally spaced points in time. However, individuals vary in beat perception ability. This thesis explores individual variability in beat perception, focusing on how efficiency at different timing levels—intervals, sequences, and beats—affects this ability. It also examines whether training in beat sequence timing in one modality can generalize to beat perception in other modalities or other timing tasks.

Chapter 1 reviews the existing literature on three timing levels: single interval timing, non-beat sequence timing, and beat sequence timings, across auditory, visual, and tactile modalities. It also discusses how musical training (i.e., training in beat sequence timing) might generalize to other timing tasks or modalities.

Chapter 2 investigates why individuals differ in beat perception ability. The study tests a three-level perceptual hierarchy (duration, sequence, beat) in auditory and visual modalities using a three-alternative forced choice paradigm. The results support the proposed hierarchy in the auditory modality but not in the visual modality, suggesting that rhythm and beat perception vary by modality.

Chapter 3 expands on the perceptual hierarchy, incorporating the tactile modality. This study used different visual stimuli (rotating rather than moving objects) and was conducted in person. The results showed that the auditory modality aligns best with the hierarchical structure, with performance in single interval and non-beat sequence tasks influencing beat perception. The visual modality did not follow this hierarchy, while the tactile modality showed partial alignment.

Chapter 4 examines whether training in auditory and visual beat sequence timing transfers to other modalities or timing tasks. Inspired by earlier findings that musicians excel across all timing levels and modalities, this study found that training significantly improved performance in the trained task. While there was no observed transfer from auditory to visual modality, visual beat training improved auditory beat perception in some individuals. Additionally, auditory training enhanced tactile beat perception, highlighting interactions between auditory and tactile senses.

Chapter 5 provides a broader discussion of the findings from the previous chapters, acknowledges study limitations, and suggests directions for future research.

Summary for Lay Audience

Rhythm is everywhere in our lives, from the ticking of a clock to the rhythm of our favorite music. Most of us naturally feel a regular "beat" in rhythmic music that makes us tap our foot or nod along. But not everyone is equally skilled at perceiving the beat. This research explores why individuals differ in this ability and examine whether training in beat perception can improve this skill across different senses, like hearing, sight, and touch.

Our ability to perceive time works on three levels: sensing a single time interval (like perceiving the duration of an oven timer’s beep), recognizing patterns in sequences (like identifying a friend’s knocking pattern on the door), and feeling the beat (like nodding along to music). Our results suggest that in hearing (auditory) tasks, these three levels work in harmony so that perceiving single intervals is crucial for perceiving sequences, which, in turn, supports beat perception. However, in visual tasks, the connection between these levels is weaker, while touch-based tasks fall somewhere in between.

Our findings also show that musicians perform better than non-musicians across all three timing levels and senses (hearing, sight, and touch). Inspired by this, the research explored whether training in one sense, like hearing, could improve timing in other senses or across different levels. The findings showed that auditory training enhanced tactile beat perception, and visual training improved auditory beat perception. Training in visual beat perception also helped people perform better on visual sequencing.

These findings could have implications for topics such as music education, therapies for people with sensory impairments, or even designing better rhythm-based technologies. By uncovering the connections between senses and timing, this research offers new ways to understand why we feel a beat and also offers exciting possibilities for enhancing this ability across senses.

Recommended Citation

Mohammad Alipour, Zhaleh, "Exploring Beat Perception: Multimodal Perspectives and Training Effects" (2025). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 10735.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/10735