Effect of training on frequency discrimination in primary school children

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Mildred Jane Moore (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
David Soderquist

Abstract: A review of literature on auditory DLs in children reveals scant empirical data in contrast with adult experimentation. The present study, consequently, was designed to measure auditory DLs in 5-, 7-, and 9-year old children, 18 Ss per age group. Using the method of constant stimuli, each child's binaural DL was measured in a test, training, retest paradigm. The range of stimuli for the 5-, 7-, and 9-year olds, respectively, was 200 to 400 Hz in 10 Hz steps, 250 to 350 Hz in 5 Hz steps, and 280 to 320 Hz in 2 Hz stops with the standard tone for all groups being 300 Hz. Pretraining sessions were necessary for the 5-year old group to develop the concept of "high" and "low". An experimental group of 9 Ss from each age level was randomly selected and given 6 days of frequency discrimination training with feedback. After training, all 54 Ss were retested using the same stimuli as in the testing sessions. The DL for the test and retest was based on three sessions of 100 trials each. A follow-up study was also conducted using the 7-year old Ss approximately 11 months later. The results indicate: (1) DLs, prior to training, were significantly different among the age groups; (2) training significantly reduced the DL for all age groups; (3) DLs, after training, were not significantly different among the age groups; (4) DLs decreased as a function of time and experimental Ss remained superior to the controls in their ability to discriminate frequencies.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 1971
Subjects
Auditory perception in children
Musical ability

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