Sensation and Perception
What experiment was impressive in researching music & speech perception vis-a-vis the vestibular system?
There are eye-movement tests that are proven to be able to detect signs of dysfunction within the vestibular system. When the head moves that stimulates the inner ear which then sends signals to the eyes through the nervous system; this is referred to as the "vestibule-ocular reflex" (VOR). When the head moves but the eye doesn't respond with clear vision the researcher knows there is a problem within the vestibule area of the ear.
Also there are "rotation tests" -- which I found the most interesting and seemingly the simplest to conduct -- that help to critically evaluate how well the eye and the ear (inner ear) are in sync. When the head is moving at speeds that slow and speed up at intervals, and the individual being tested is wearing the sticky-patch electrodes, or goggles, the person conducting the experiment can record the eye movements. This gives the examiner a good idea as to how well the eye and ear are coordinated for any individual.
The auto head rotation test is very different from other tests, and I found this to be a good way to determine if a person has good coordination between eyes and ears. The person being tested is directed to look at a fixed target, keeping eyes on the target while moving the head up and down and back and forth. The chair is computerized (its movement is pre-determined) in this experiment and the individual being tested is harnessed into the chair for security sake. The best place for this exercise is in a darkened room; the person...
While the eye movements are being recorded, there is a conversation between the tester and the person being tested -- partly to keep the person being tested busy and alert. This experiment could also be done with music; that is, the chair could be computer coordinated to move with the beat or rhythm of a particular musical piece or popular song. The person whose eye movements are being recorded could be asked to sing with the music, keeping eyes focused on a fixed target while singing and the coordination between eyes and ears would have a deeper linkage.
TWO: Does our use of electronic communication devices reduce our actual ability to communicate with those around us?
Certainly there is ample evidence that -- especially with younger people -- speaking face-to-face is becoming a lost art. Texting in particular has become a way of communicating without the spoken word and without the body language that used to go along with communication. Multitasking in a very real is way necessary when people are using a cell phone (they may be checking email, speaking to someone, texting with another person, taking video or still images) and at the same time driving, or working, or doing other things while at the same time using digital technologies.
Teens are so occupied and even obsessed with texting back and forth with their friends, they are not interested in emailing and they would rather text than speak on the phone in many instances. A…
