The Tritone Paradox: Effects of Pitch Class and Position of the Spectral Envelope

1998 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice Giangrande

The tritone paradox reveals compelling individual differences in the orientation of the pitch class circle derived from judgments of tritone pairs. Some subjects perceive tones in one half of the pitch class circle as higher than tones in the opposite half, whereas other subjects produce the converse pattern. Because geographical differences in perception of the tritone paradox have been found, an interesting issue concerns how subjects in additional regions of the United States may perceive the tritone paradox. A second issue of interest concerns the extent to which the position of the spectral envelope affects how the pattern is perceived. These issues are here addressed in a study of the tritone paradox in a group of subjects from South Florida. With respect to the first issue, the overall histogram of peak pitch classes produced by the subjects from South Florida was similar to the histogram found among Californian subjects. To address the second issue, tone pairs were generated under four spectral envelopes spaced at half-octave intervals. The majority of subjects evidenced differences in peak pitch class of no more than 2 semitones when judgments under each of the four spectral envelopes were compared.

1990 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 371-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Deutsch ◽  
Tom North ◽  
Lee Ray

In the tritone paradox, two tones are presented that are related by a halfoctave. Each tone consists of a set of octave-related sinusoids whose amplitudes are scaled by a bell-shaped spectral envelope; thus the usual cues to height attribution are missing. When listeners judge whether such tone pairs form ascending or descending patterns, judgments are related in an orderly fashion to the positions of the tones along the pitch class circle: Tones in one region of the circle are heard as higher and those in the opposite region as lower. However, listeners differ strikingly in the orientation of the pitch-class circle with respect to height. So far, the basis of the tritone paradox and the reasons for the individual differences in its manifestation have proved elusive. In the present study, a correlation is found between perception of the tritone paradox and the range of fundamental frequencies of the listener's speaking voice. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a close connection between the perception of a musical pattern on the one hand and the listener's speech characteristics on the other.


1991 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Deutsch

The tritone paradox is produced when two tones that are related by a half- octave (or tritone) are presented in succession. Each tone is composed of a set of octave- related harmonics, whose amplitudes are determined by a bell-shaped spectral envelope; thus the tones are clearly defined in terms of pitch class, but poorly defined in terms of height. When listeners judge whether such tone pairs form ascending or descending patterns, their judgments generally show systematic relationships to the positions of the tones along the pitch-class circle: Tones in one region of the circle are heard as higher and those in the opposite region are heard as lower. However, listeners disagree substantially as to whether a given tone pair forms an ascending or a descending pattern, and therefore as to which tones are heard as higher and which as lower. This paper demonstrates that the basis for the individual differences in perception of this musical pattern lies in the language spoken by the listener. Two groups of subjects made judgments of the tritone paradox. One group had grown up in California, and the other group had grown up in southern England. It was found that when the Californian group tended to hear the pattern as ascending the English group tended to hear it as descending, and when the Californian group tended to hear the pattern as descending the English group tended to hear it as ascending. This finding, coupled with the earlier results of Deutsch, North, and Ray (1990) that showed a correlate between perception of the tritone paradox and the pitch range of the listener's spontaneous speaking voice, indicates strongly that the same, culturally acquired representation of pitch classes influences both speech production and perception of this musical pattern.


1992 ◽  
Vol 336 (1278) ◽  
pp. 391-397 ◽  

This paper explores two new paradoxical sound patterns. The tones used to produce these patterns consist of six octave-related harmonics, whose amplitudes are scaled by a bell-shaped spectral envelope; these tones are clearly defined in terms of pitch class (C, C#, D, and so on) but are poorly defined in term s of height. One pattern consists of two tones that are separated by a half-octave. It is heard as ascending when played in one key, yet as descending when played in a different key. Further, when the pattern is played in any one key it is heard as ascending by some listeners but as descending by others (the tritone paradox). Another pattern that consists of simultaneous pairs of tones displays related properties (the semitone paradox). It is shown that the way the tritone paradox is perceived correlates with the speech characteristics of the listener, including his or her linguistic dialect. The findings suggest that the same, culturally acquired representation of pitch classes influences both speech production and also perception of this musical pattern.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S603-S603
Author(s):  
Maria L Soler Hidalgo ◽  
John M Abbamonte ◽  
Laura Regalini ◽  
Mariana Schlesinger ◽  
Maria L Alcaide ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Each year Influenza causes between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths, and over half a million of hospitalizations in the United States. Despite the widespread availability of vaccination, immunization coverage is low. Less than half of American adults receive the influenza vaccine, and there is a disparity between Hispanic and non-Hispanics, with only 35.9% of Hispanic compared with 45.9% of white non-Hispanics receiving the vaccine. In Miami, South Florida, over two-thirds of the population is Hispanic, and rates of influenza vaccination are low. This study aims to identify the knowledge and attitudes toward influenza vaccination among members of the adult Hispanic community in Miami, and to identify barriers to vaccination in this population. Methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted during the influenza season in 2017 and 2019 (October to December). A survey was administered in the waiting rooms of participating Latin American Consulates (Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay) in Miami. Participants included were older than 18 years, Hispanic, and with residence in the United States for more than 6 months. The participants accepted the inform consent orally. The survey was voluntary and anonymous. Results We enrolled 970 adults. The median age was 43 years, 50% were male, 60% had health insurance, and 67% had completed education of high school or higher. Knowledge regarding influenza and vaccination was low (78% believed asymptomatic individuals could transmit influenza, 14% knew that vaccination is recommended during the winter months, 50% felt not everyone should be vaccinated, 25% believed the vaccine causes influenza, and 7% autism). About one quarter (27%) received the influenza vaccine annually, 35% sometimes, and 38% never. Using multinomial logistic regression, we identified age χ2(2) = 19.38, P < 0.001, consulate χ2(6) = 160.21, P < 0.001, and insurance status χ2(2) = 23.04, P < 0.001 as predictors of receiving vaccination. Neither gender, nor education level found to be associated with vaccination behavior. Conclusion Immunization rates in the adult Hispanic population are low. Interventions to improve vaccination among Hispanics who are older and lack of health insurance are urgently needed in the diverse Hispanic community. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


1994 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Ragozzine ◽  
Diana Deutsch

A previous study (Deutsch, 1991) demonstrated a striking difference in perception of the tritone paradox between subjects who had grown up in two different geographical regions. Specifically, a group of subjects who had grown up in California were compared with a group who had grown up in the South of England. When the Californian group tended to hear the pattern as ascending, the English group tended to hear it as descending, and vice versa. This raises the question of whether regional differences also exist within the United States in the way this pattern is perceived. The present study examined the percepts of subjects who had grown up in Mahoning and/or Trumbull counties in Ohio. Two groups were compared: those whose parents had also grown up in this area and those for whom this was not the case. A highly significant difference between these two groups of subjects was obtained, with those in the latter group producing a distribution of percepts similar to that found among Californians and those in the former group producing a different distribution. From this and other analyses of the data, it is concluded that regional differences in perception of the tritone paradox do indeed exist within the United States and that there is in addition an effect of familial background.


1992 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 554-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsan-Kuo Chang ◽  
Jae-Won Lee

A national survey of newspaper editors examined how editors view the importance of different criteria in selecting foreign news to run. Results show that editors considered these factors important in making choices: threat to the United States and world peace, anticipated reader interest, timeliness, and U.S. involvement. Editors also regarded loss of lives and property as important but less so than other factors. Most editors appear to focus more on factors having significant impact or consequences, especially when American security and national interest are involved. Canonical correlational analysis indicates that editors' perceptions of foreign news factors are determined by individual differences and organizational constraints in the newsroom.


EDIS ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya Singh ◽  
Edward A. Evans ◽  
Jeff Wasielewski ◽  
Manjul Dutt ◽  
Jude Grosser

Cylindrical Australian finger limes (Microcitrus australasica) taste like a combination of lemon, lime, and grapefruit, come in a rainbow of colors, and have a texture like caviar. Like other citrus fruits, finger limes are nutritious, low in calories, and vitamin-rich. So far in the United States only California grows finger limes commercially, but this 4-page fact sheet written by Aditya Singh, Edward Evans, Jeff Wasielewski, Manjul Dutt, and Jude Grosser and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department makes the case that exotic, colorful finger limes would likely grow well in Florida, where they would appeal to hoteliers and restaurants and to adventurous, health-conscious consumers on the lookout for a delicious new fresh fruit snack to try.  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1033


Plant Disease ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-74
Author(s):  
R. T. McMillan ◽  
W. R. Graves ◽  
T. F. Wood ◽  
R. M. Leahy

Mature akee trees, Blighia sapida K. Koenig, in a local south Florida commercial orchard had wilt and dieback symptoms during spring 1999. A fungus isolated from the gray xylem root tissue on V8 agar was identified as Verticillium dahliae Klebahn at the Division of Plant Industry of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Twenty akee seedlings were transplanted into 3.85-liter plastic pots and grown in a greenhouse at a daytime temperature of 28°C and nighttime temperature of 23°C. When plants were approximately 25 cm high, a 15-cm knife was used to sever roots in the four quadrants of each pot. Inoculum was made from a 2-week-old culture of V. dahliae on V8 agar and blended with 160 ml of sterile water, and 15 ml of this slurry was poured into the disturbed soil of each of 10 treated plants. A plate of uninoculated V8 agar was applied, as above, to 10 control plants. Plants were kept in the greenhouse. After 6 weeks, inoculated plants showed symptoms of leaf wilt, dieback and plant death. No symptoms were seen on control plants. V. dahliae was isolated directly from the gray vascular tissue of inoculated plants. The inoculation experiment was repeated three times, fulfilling Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Verticillium dieback on B. sapida in the United States.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrikas Bartusevicius ◽  
Florian van Leeuwen ◽  
Michael Bang Petersen

Given the costs of political violence, scholars have long sought to identify its causes. We examined individual differences related to participation in political violence, emphasizing the central role of political orientations. We hypothesized, specifically, that individuals with dominance-driven autocratic political orientations are prone to political violence. Multilevel analysis of survey data from 34 African countries (N = 51,587) indicated that autocracy-oriented individuals, compared to democracy-oriented individuals, are considerably more likely to participate in political violence. As a predictor of violence (indexed with attitudinal, action intent, and behavioral measures), autocratic orientation outperformed other variables highlighted in existing research, including socioeconomic status and group-based injustice. Additional analyses of original data from South Africa (N = 2,170), Denmark (N = 1,012), and the United States (N = 1,539) indicated that the autocratic orientation-political violence link reflects individual differences in dominance orientations, and that the findings generalize to societies extensively socialized to democratic values.


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