Authors
Martin Lang, Daniel J Shaw, Paul Reddish, Sebastian Wallot, Panagiotis Mitkidis, Dimitris Xygalatas
Publication date
2016/9
Journal
Cognitive Science
Volume
40
Issue
7
Pages
1797-1815
Description
Music is a natural human expression present in all cultures, but the functions it serves are still debated. Previous research indicates that rhythm, an essential feature of music, can enhance coordination of movement and increase social bonding. However, the prolonged effects of rhythm have not yet been investigated. In this study, pairs of participants were exposed to one of three kinds of auditory stimuli (rhythmic, arrhythmic, or white‐noise) and subsequently engaged in five trials of a joint‐action task demanding interpersonal coordination. We show that when compared with the other two stimuli, exposure to the rhythmic beat reduced the practice effect in task performance. Analysis of the behavioral data suggests that this reduction results from more temporally coupled motor movements over successive trials and that shared exposure to rhythm facilitates interpersonal motor coupling, which in this context serves to …
Total citations
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Scholar articles
M Lang, DJ Shaw, P Reddish, S Wallot, P Mitkidis… - Cognitive Science, 2016