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Biomedical subjects

M Franĕk

Publications and source records attributed to M Franĕk.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Sensorimotor synchronization: motor responses to pseudoregular auditory patterns.

Musically trained and untrained subjects (N = 30) were asked to synchronize their finger tapping with stimuli in auditory patterns. Each pattern comprised six successive tonal stimuli of the same duration, the first of which was accented by a different frequency. The duration of inter-stimulus onset intervals (ISIs) gradually increased or decreased in constant steps toward the end of the patterns. Four values of such steps were used in different trials: 20, 30, 45, and 60 msec. Various time-control mechanisms are hypothesized as being simultaneously responsible for subjects' incorrect reproduction of the internal temporal ratios of the stimulus patterns. The mechanism of assimilation (of a central tendency) led subjects to enforce a regular (isochronous) structure on the patterns. The influence of other time-control mechanisms (distinction, subjective expression of an accent, sequential transfer) was expressed mainly in differences between intertap onset intervals (ITIs) and the corresponding ISIs at the beginning of the patterns. The duration of the first two ITIs was in the majority of the trials in an inverse ratio to the ratio of the respective ISIs. The distortions resulting from the timing mechanisms concerned were more pronounced in the performance of nonmusicians than in that of musicians.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1991

Finger tapping in musicians and nonmusicians.

Timing plays an important role in perceiving and performing music. Finger tapping has been successfully used for analyzing timing processes (Fraisse, 1966, Franĕk et al., 1987, 1988). The aim of this study is to determine differences between musically trained and untrained subjects in their ability to follow repetitive rhythmic tonal patterns by finger tapping. It has been found previously (Povel, 1981; Smith, 1983) that time estimation differs among musicians and nonmusicians under certain conditions. The results presented here show that motor timing revealed by tapping is more accurate in musicians than in nonmusicians.

Fingers↗
PubMed1991

Sensorimotor synchronization: motor responses to regular auditory patterns.

Subjects (N = 32) were asked to synchronize a motor response with tones in auditory patterns. These patterns were created from six tones and six intertone intervals of equal duration. The pitch of the first tone differed from the others. It was found that subjects used three types of timing in their motor response: (1) the first intertone interval was prolonged and the second interval was shortened, (2) the second intertone interval was prolonged and the first interval was shortened, and/or (3) the first interval and the second interval were of approximately the same length. The prolongation of the fifth interval was observed during all three types of timing. The results are explained using the concept of suprasegmental control of timing, which explains a prolongation of intervals at critical control point of the patterns. The occurrence of three different strategies of timing is discussed in connection with similar principles in musical performance.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1988

Tracking irregular acoustic patterns by finger tapping.

Acoustical sequences were divided by time intervals of various durations, and the performance of finger tappings following the stimuli were recorded. The results proved that it is difficult to synchronize finger tapping with irregular acoustical patterns. The subjects tended to transform the irregular stimulus patterns into more regular response patterns shifted toward interval proportions close to 1:1 or 2:1.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Following complex rhythmical acoustical patterns by tapping.

Rhythmic acoustical sequences consisting of patterns of various complexity (number of intervals in pattern) were generated and subjects were asked to synchronize with them by finger tapping. Deviations between onset of stimuli and onset of response were measured. It has been confirmed that tapping precedes the onset of stimuli by about 20-30 ms. The duration of this anticipatory period increased with an increase in stimulus complexity to the limit of three intervals in pattern. This finding points to a systematic error in timing of rhythmic motor reactions during acoustical following. Its degree depends to a certain limit on the nature of the stimuli. Subjects are subjectively aware of this error.

Acoustic Stimulation↗