Development of full-body rhythmic synchronization in middle childhood

Abstract

Rhythmic entrainment is a fundamental aspect of musical behavior, but the skills required to accurately synchronize movement to the beat seem to develop over many years. Motion capture studies of corporeal synchronization have shown immature abilities to lock in to the beat in children before age 5, and reliable synchronization ability in adults without musical training; yet there is a lack of data on full-body synchronization skills between early childhood and adulthood. To document typical rhythmic synchronization during middle childhood, we used a wireless motion capture device to measure period- and phase-locking of full body movement to rhythm and metronome stimuli in 6 to 11 year-old children in comparison with adult data. Results show a gradual improvement with age; however children's performance did not reach adult levels by age 12, suggesting that these skills continue to develop during adolescence. Our results suggest that in the absence of specific music training, full-body rhythmic entrainment skills improve gradually during middle childhood, and provide metrics for examining the continued maturation of these skills during adolescence.

Keywords: Child development; Motion capture; Rhythmic entrainment; Rhythmic synchronization.

Figure 1

Boxplots show results of analyses for period-locking (as measured by proportion of synchronized power) by age group for each stimulus: (a) slow metronome, (b) fast metronome, (c) slow rhythm, and (d) fast rhythm.

Figure 2

Boxplots show results of analyses for phase-locking (as measured by Rayleigh Z statistic) by age group for each stimulus: (a) slow metronome, (b) fast metronome, (c) slow rhythm, and (d) fast rhythm.

Figure 3

Results of the Von Mises distributions indicate the degree of peak phase shift, calculated for individual participants’ optimal beat levels, by age group for each stimulus: (a) slow metronome, (b) fast metronome, (c) slow rhythm, and (d) fast rhythm.