TY - JOUR
T1 - Lost in the Rhythm
T2 - Effects of Rhythm on Subsequent Interpersonal Coordination
AU - Lang, Martin
AU - Shaw, Daniel J.
AU - Reddish, Paul
AU - Wallot, Sebastian
AU - Mitkidis, Panagiotis
AU - Xygalatas, Dimitris
PY - 2016/9/26
Y1 - 2016/9/26
N2 - 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 impede the attainment of necessary dynamic coordination. We propose that rhythm has the potential to enhance interpersonal motor coupling, which might serve as a mechanism behind its facilitation of positive social attitudes.
AB - 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 impede the attainment of necessary dynamic coordination. We propose that rhythm has the potential to enhance interpersonal motor coupling, which might serve as a mechanism behind its facilitation of positive social attitudes.
KW - Interpersonal coordination
KW - Motor coupling
KW - Rhythm
KW - Social bonding
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84944399288&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/cogs.12302
DO - 10.1111/cogs.12302
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84944399288
SN - 1756-8757
VL - 40
SP - 1797
EP - 1815
JO - Topics in Cognitive Science
JF - Topics in Cognitive Science
IS - 7
ER -