title: Young children's difficulties in switching from rhythm production to temporal interval production (>1 s).
abstract: This study examined the young children's abilities to switch from rhythm production, with short inter-tap intervals (ITIs), to temporal interval production, with long ITI (>1 s), in a sensorimotor synchronization task. Children aged 3- and 5-year-olds were given six sessions of synchronization. In a control group, they had to synchronize their ITI to an inter-stimulus interval (ISI) of 4 s. In the experimental group, they must progressively increase their ITI for one session to the next (from 0.4 to 4.0-s ISI). Our results showed that the 5-year-olds produced longer ITI that the 3-year-olds in synchronization. However, the value of ITI in the 5-year-olds never exceeded 1.5 s, with more variable ITI in the control than in the experimental group. In addition, at 5 years, boys had more difficulties than girls in changing their tapping rhythm. These results suggest a temporal window in sensorimotor synchronization, beyond which the rhythm is lost and the synchronization becomes difficult.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Éthologie, Cognition, Développement, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense Nanterre, France.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bobin-Bègue
authors.affiliation: Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive, CNRS UMR 6024 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Droit-Volet
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Cognition Humaine et Artificielle, École Pratique des Hautes Études Paris, France.
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Provasi
keywords: children; rhythm; sensorimotor synchronization; tempo; timing