Children's Duplication of Rhythmic Patterns

1HOUGH NUMEROUS INVESnGATORS have maintained that psychological processing involves rhythmic organization, research concerned explicitly with children's rhythmic skills is best characterized as scattered.l Most frequently, investigators have concentrated upon devising an apparatus that could measure rhythmic sensitivity re liably2 (Jersild and Bienstock), or upon training a superior sense of rhythm.3 Previous studies have revealed wide individual differences and considerable individual potential for improved rhythmic sensitivity. Yet, perhaps due to the emphasis on training and the difficulty of measurement, only one study includes an inventory of children's ability to duplicate rhythmic patterns. Stambak administered twenty-one patterns ranging from three to eight blows to subjects of different ages and recorded the number of blows that the average child at each age level could handle.4 Patterns were administered in order of apparent difEculty, and a ratio of 4:1 between long and short beats was used. If a subject missed four items in a row, the test was terminated. Stambak found that 3 to 4 blows could be handled by the six-year-old, 5 by the seven- or eight-year-old, 7 or 8 by the twelve-year-old. Six-year-olds averaged 9 errors in 21 problems, eight-year-olds averaged 51/2 errors, and twelve-year-olds averaged 3 errors. Unfortunately, Stambak's articles contain no statistical tests and no rationale for item selection, and are deficient in other methodological and reporting aspects as well. The present study, thoungh differing in particulars, is an independent attempt to validate Stambak's Endings, to provide specific norms, and to present a technique appropriate for assessment and training studies. Since rhyth1 U.