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Thesis advisor: Sara Cordes / Throughout early childhood, children learn various symbolic systems to represent abstract concepts such as quantity. Yet it is unclear how the acquisition of symbols for quantity (e.g., number words; measurement concepts of “seconds”, “minutes”… for time, etc.) may shape nonsymbolic representations of these quantities. While previous work hints at the possibility that acquiring numerical symbols refines numerical acuity (i.e., “refinement hypothesis”), these data are correlational in nature, making it impossible to assess causality. As such, experimental manipulations training the symbolic system are necessary in order to determine whether a causal relation exists. Moreover, these investigations have been limited to the domain of number, making it unclear if similar relations exist in continuous quantities, such as time and space. My dissertation tests whether the relation between symbolic and nonsymbolic abilities holds for the inherently continuous quantity of time, while also providing one of the first investigations of the refinement hypothesis outside of the domain of number. Results reveal that nonsymbolic and symbolic timing are related in childhood, both before and during formal instruction on temporal units of measurement (Experiment 1 & 2), but not in adulthood (Experiment 3). Further, I find no support for the refinement hypothesis: learning temporal symbols did not result in improved temporal acuity (Experiment 2), nor did shifting adults’ symbolic mapping of time shape temporal acuity (Experiment 3). Similarly, learning labels for surface area did not enhance adults’ spatial acuity (Experiment 4). Broader educational implications and areas of future investigation are also discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2019. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Psychology.

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The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a program of rhythmic training upon the ability to perform music at sight. In addition to examining the overall sight-reading improvement, rhythm reading improvement was also investigated. The program of rhythmic training utilized the Temporal Acuity Products (TAP) system as the rhythm training aid. From these findings it was concluded that the program of rhythmic training did not affect the ability to perform music at sight. A transfer of rhythm reading to sight-reading did no take place. Results of the retention test indicated an improvement in the experimental group's scores over an extended period of time. This improvement revealed that when subjects were tested after two months, the program of rhythmic training did have an effect on sight-reading ability. It was also concluded that there might be a hierarchy of skills in which rhythmic training is only one aspect. Furthermore, there could be a combination of skills which must improve simultaneously in order to effect overall sight-reading ability.