Research Article

Effects of regular and irregular rhythms on time perception: The role of aksak and non-metric rhythms

Volume: 10 Number: 3 July 28, 2025
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Effects of regular and irregular rhythms on time perception: The role of aksak and non-metric rhythms

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effects of regular and irregular rhythmic structures on subjective time perception and, in this context, to investigate the role of aksak and non-metric rhythms. Specifically, the study compares the effects of irregular rhythms, non–metric rhythms, and a control condition (silence) on participants’ ability to estimate time intervals. 72 undergraduate students participated in the experiment in a controlled laboratory environment. The participants were randomly divided into control, aksak rhythm, and non-metric rhythm groups. In order to ensure that the initial conditions of the groups were equal, the data collection tools were applied as a pretest. During the subjective time perception assessment process, the groups were asked to perform Time Estimation, Time Production, and Time Reproduction tasks in the retrospective and prospective paradigms. While the control group performed the tasks in silence, the first experimental group was exposed to aksak rhythm, and the second was exposed to non-metric rhythm. During the experiment, the participants were asked to estimate the durations of time intervals presented with the relevant auditory stimuli. The study’s data were evaluated in terms of the ratios of estimated times to actual time durations and based on groups’ pretest and posttest scores. Additionally, the effects of the gender and age variables of the study group on subjective time perception were examined. The research results revealed significant inconsistencies in time perception among the experimental groups. Participants in the Control and Aksak Rhythm Groups demonstrated more accurate time estimations than those in the Non-metric Rhythm Group. Participants in the Aksak Rhythm Group made estimations close to absolute time as the participants in the control group. Therefore, aksak rhythmic patterns do not appear to have a negative effect on subjective time perception. In contrast, Non-metric rhythmic patterns tend to cause time to be perceived as slower than it is. The variables of gender and age (18-26 age range examined) were not found to affect subjective time perception significantly.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Music Cognition, Music (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

July 28, 2025

Submission Date

February 26, 2025

Acceptance Date

May 13, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 10 Number: 3

APA
Kömürcü, İ. (2025). Effects of regular and irregular rhythms on time perception: The role of aksak and non-metric rhythms. Online Journal of Music Sciences, 10(3), 557-571. https://doi.org/10.31811/ojomus.1647605
AMA
1.Kömürcü İ. Effects of regular and irregular rhythms on time perception: The role of aksak and non-metric rhythms. ojomus. 2025;10(3):557-571. doi:10.31811/ojomus.1647605
Chicago
Kömürcü, İlker. 2025. “Effects of Regular and Irregular Rhythms on Time Perception: The Role of Aksak and Non-Metric Rhythms”. Online Journal of Music Sciences 10 (3): 557-71. https://doi.org/10.31811/ojomus.1647605.
EndNote
Kömürcü İ (July 1, 2025) Effects of regular and irregular rhythms on time perception: The role of aksak and non-metric rhythms. Online Journal of Music Sciences 10 3 557–571.
IEEE
[1]İ. Kömürcü, “Effects of regular and irregular rhythms on time perception: The role of aksak and non-metric rhythms”, ojomus, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 557–571, July 2025, doi: 10.31811/ojomus.1647605.
ISNAD
Kömürcü, İlker. “Effects of Regular and Irregular Rhythms on Time Perception: The Role of Aksak and Non-Metric Rhythms”. Online Journal of Music Sciences 10/3 (July 1, 2025): 557-571. https://doi.org/10.31811/ojomus.1647605.
JAMA
1.Kömürcü İ. Effects of regular and irregular rhythms on time perception: The role of aksak and non-metric rhythms. ojomus. 2025;10:557–571.
MLA
Kömürcü, İlker. “Effects of Regular and Irregular Rhythms on Time Perception: The Role of Aksak and Non-Metric Rhythms”. Online Journal of Music Sciences, vol. 10, no. 3, July 2025, pp. 557-71, doi:10.31811/ojomus.1647605.
Vancouver
1.İlker Kömürcü. Effects of regular and irregular rhythms on time perception: The role of aksak and non-metric rhythms. ojomus. 2025 Jul. 1;10(3):557-71. doi:10.31811/ojomus.1647605

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