An Investigation of Surface Characteristic Effects in Melody Recognition

Abstract

To what extent are the surface features of melodies represented and utilized in memory? Four experiments were conducted to investigate three main issues: (a) Is timbre-specific familiarity or instance-specific matching responsible for the traditional timbre effects observed in melody recognition memory? (b) What is the function of timbre similarity in these timbre effects? (c) Do articulation format attributes influence melody recognition memory? The principal findings are as follows: Instance-specific matching governs the timbre effects observed in melody recognition, and whether matching obtains depends absolutely on the quantitative amount of match between the memory trace and the recognition probe. A similar timbre used at test was effective to induce a close match between the overlapping timbre attributes of the memory trace and probe, enhancing recognition performance. A similar articulation format, akin to a similar timbre, was effective to induce matching. Overall, surface features are not erased from memory during melody recognition.