Temporal Alignment in Multimodal Learning: How Music Influences Sequential Visual Memory
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Perumal, Rishi Gopi
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Abstract
Music is all around us and has increasingly been researched for its effects on memory and learning. While previous work suggests that music can aid in encoding, outcomes have been variable, perhaps because musical timing and structure were inconsistent. In the current research, the effect of rhythmic synchrony and musical regularity on episodic memory in a task of visual sequence learning is explored. Subscribers viewed visual sequences paired with familiar musical excerpts under six rhythmic synchrony (synchronized, asynchronized, or control) and musical regularity (regular, irregular, or no music) conditions. They conducted an encoding–rehearsal–retrieval task on 16 sequences, measuring performance via accuracy, reaction time, and longest correct in-sequence (LCIS) responses. Results showed synchronized conditions yielded considerably more accuracy and faster encoding response times, which aligns with the hypothesis that temporal coordination is an aid to learning. LCIS scores across conditions were not notably different, but with the highest average means from regular trials in synchrony, where a fluency benefit may lie. Retrieval reaction times were fastest in no-music controls, which is interesting because that would mean that music can provide an aid for memory only it is temporally synchronized with the requirement needs. These findings underscore the importance of temporal organization within multimodal coding and support the use of rhythmic synchrony in attention assistance and accuracy of memory. The study also highlights the value of including sensitive performance measures in follow-up studies.
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Undergraduate Research Option Thesis