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

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

PY - 2016/9/1

Y1 - 2016/9/1

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 - Psychology

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 - Journal articles

C2 - 26452330

AN - SCOPUS:84944399288

VL - 40

SP - 1797

EP - 1815

JO - Cognitive Science

JF - Cognitive Science

SN - 0364-0213

IS - 7

ER -