Discrimination of Regular and Irregular Rhythms Explained by a Time Difference Accumulation Model

• Irregular rhythms are identified by accumulating timing information. Accumulation of information occurs without leak. A detection model fails to account for the behavioral results. The accuracy auditory pulses excels visual or tactile stimuli. Perceiving temporal regularity in a sequence repetitive sensory events facilitates preparation and execution relevant behaviors with tight constraints. How we estimate from repeating patterns stimuli is not completely understood. We developed decision-making task which participants had decide whether train visual, auditory, pulses, regular an irregular pattern. tested hypothesis that subjects categorize as time differences between predicted observed times defining rhythm. Results suggest instead waiting single large deviation, accumulate timing-error signals judge pattern when amount evidence reaches decision threshold. Model fits bounded integration showed this accumulation negligible leak evidence. Consistent previous findings, show perform better evaluating compared Our results estimated comparing expected measured pulse onset times, each prediction error accumulated towards threshold generate choice.