Adjective ratings and dimension analyses of auditory rhythm patterns

Gabrielsson, A. Adjective ratings and dimension analyses of auditory rhythm patterns. Scand. J. psychol., 1973, 14, 244–260.-Rhythm experience for three classes of auditory rhythm stimuli, including music, was investigated by a variant of semantic differential technique in six experiments. The rating scales were chosen by means of questionnaires to musicians. The subjects rated the rhythms in a number of the scales and the ratings were subjected to factor analysis. The factors were interpreted as "uniformity-variation" or "simplicity-complexity", "accentuated first beat", "meter", "basic pattern", "rapidity", "movement characters" (floating-stuttering, dancing-walking and others), "vital-dull", "excited-calm", and "rigid-flexible".