Title | Sensorimotor coupling in music and the psychology of the groove. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2012 |
Authors | Janata P, Tomic ST, Haberman JM |
Journal | J Exp Psychol Gen |
Volume | 141 |
Issue | 1 |
Pagination | 54-75 |
Date Published | 2012 Feb |
ISSN | 1939-2222 |
Keywords | Adolescent, Auditory Perception, Emotions, Female, Humans, Male, Music, Periodicity, Psychomotor Performance, Young Adult |
Abstract | The urge to move in response to music, combined with the positive affect associated with the coupling of sensory and motor processes while engaging with music (referred to as sensorimotor coupling) in a seemingly effortless way, is commonly described as the feeling of being in the groove. Here, we systematically explore this compelling phenomenon in a population of young adults. We utilize multiple levels of analysis, comprising phenomenological, behavioral, and computational techniques. Specifically, we show (a) that the concept of the groove is widely appreciated and understood in terms of a pleasurable drive toward action, (b) that a broad range of musical excerpts can be appraised reliably for the degree of perceived groove, (c) that the degree of experienced groove is inversely related to experienced difficulty of bimanual sensorimotor coupling under tapping regimes with varying levels of expressive constraint, (d) that high-groove stimuli elicit spontaneous rhythmic movements, and (e) that quantifiable measures of the quality of sensorimotor coupling predict the degree of experienced groove. Our results complement traditional discourse regarding the groove, which has tended to take the psychological phenomenon for granted and has focused instead on the musical and especially the rhythmic qualities of particular genres of music that lead to the perception of groove. We conclude that groove can be treated as a psychological construct and model system that allows for experimental exploration of the relationship between sensorimotor coupling with music and emotion. |
DOI | 10.1037/a0024208 |
Alternate Journal | J Exp Psychol Gen |
PubMed ID | 21767048 |