Presenter Name:Matthew Eitel

School/Affiliation:Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

Co-Authors:Daniel Müllensiefen, Peter Harrison, Nicolas Ruth

Abstract:

Capture the Chord: The Harmony Perception Test

Matthew Eitel¹, Daniel Müllensiefen¹, Nicolas Ruth¹ and Peter Harrison²

1. Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK
2. Max-Planck-Institute, Frankfurt, Germany

In a task to select which chord differed between two four-chord sequences, participants relied on harmonic distance, simultaneous consonance, and familiarity cues. Participants (n = 357) were more likely to correctly choose target chords when harmonic distance was greater between the target chord and preceding chord, target chords were less consonant, and the original sequence more familiar. Individual differences in participant performance were correlated to Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index musical training scores, with higher scores being associated with a greater chance of correctly responding to a given trial. Results support Bharucha’s connectionist theory of harmonic perception.