The Effect of Rhythmic Pattern in Recalling 10 Digit Numbers

Abstract

This study explores the application of a rhythmic musical pattern to a sequence of ten-digit numbers and its effect on short-term memory and the retention of sequential auditory input in non-musicians. Three sets of ten-digit numbers were used as independent variables, one without the addition of a rhythmic pattern, and two sets with rhythmic patterns one dotted rhythm and one with triplets. Fifteen non-musician participants between twenty and twenty-five years old were tested and a one-way ANOVA was selected for data analysis. Results show that there is a significant difference in digit recall when the number is presented with a dotted-rhythmic pattern compared to those with triplets and the non-rhythmic pattern, while the Tukey HSD post-hoc test results show that there is a significant difference in the mean score between the three groups. These results lead to the conclusion that rhythmic patterns may have a positive effect on short-term memory in recalling and remembering numbers.