The Effect of Repetition on Tempo Preferences of Elementary Children
The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of repeated listenings on children's preferences between selected slow and fast excerpts of art music. The sample consisted of fourth graders from a South Carolina elementary school After a pretest given to control and experimental groups, the experimental groups were exposed to repeated slow excerpts played in comparison to single presentations of different “transitory ” fast examples drawn from baroque, classical, romantic, and atonal styles. The control group duplicated this procedure with the exception that both slow and fast listening examples were always “transitory.” The proportions of control and experimental group preferences were statistically analyzed, and significant results were obtained. The experimental group exceeded the control group in its choices of slow excerpts in all style categories tested. Repetition had a positive effect on children's preferences for slow music.