"Cultural Influence on Rhythm Interpretation in the Human Brain"

A large-scale study led by researchers at MIT and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics found that the human brain appears biased toward hearing and producing rhythms composed of simple integer ratios, but the favored ratios can vary greatly between different societies. The study, which included 39 groups of participants from 15 countries, revealed biases for integer ratios in every group tested, but with variations across cultures. The findings suggest a mechanism that aids in the perception and production of music, and highlight the importance of considering diverse populations in studies of music perception.