Effects of Rhythm on the Perception of Urgency and Irritation in Auditory Signals

Abstract

This study was devoted to measuring effects of rhythm on the perception of urgency and irritation using temporal perceptual accents to increase the level of rhythm. Two tests have been carried out. The first test measured absolute perception of urgency and irritation. The second test measured relative perception of urgency and irritation. The results of the first test showed how rhythms with fewer accents were perceived more urgent as well as more irritating. However, the results of the second test showed that the odds were lowest that rhythms with zero accents were perceived more urgent as well as more irritating. An explanation that is suggested for this outcome is that auditory context plays an important role in perceiving rhythm in auditory signals.