Research: It happens to those who listen to classical music together

According to a new study, when people listen to classical music together, they form a strong collective bond with one another. So, how does this happen?

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Research: It happens to those who listen to classical music together

A new study reports that physical responses such as heart rate, breathing, and skin conductance synchronize among audience members at classical music concerts. The new study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, also revealed that people with more extroverted personalities tend to synchronize more highly compared to those prone to neurotic tendencies.

GENRES OTHER THAN CLASSICAL MUSIC MAY OFFER MORE EFFECTIVE RESULTS

Speaking to AFP as part of the research project, psychologist Wolfgang Tschacher from the University of Bern, who also co-led the study, says that aesthetic experiences are not independent of bodily responses, and states that they conducted the study because they were curious about how we respond to art and music.

The theory in question is based on a phenomenon known as 'embodied cognition'.

Embodied cognition is defined as a theory stating that many features of cognition are shaped by various aspects of the organism's body. The relationship of cognitive features to high-level mental structures such as concepts and categories, as well as performance observed in cognitive tasks, forms the backbone of the research.

The modern version of the embodied mind view appears in current research findings in fields such as psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and robotics.

Here, the idea that the mind is not only dependent on the body but that the body also influences the mind prevails.

For the research, 132 audience members were observed at three classical music concerts.

All three concerts featured the same composition by Ludwig van Beethoven. The listeners answered some questions before the concert. They first answered questions about their personalities, and after the concert, they answered questions about whether they enjoyed it. The participants were also monitored with a camera and wearable sensors.

While the hearts and skin conductance levels of the participating audience members aligned significantly during the same musical transitions, the alignment of body movements was also observed. However, although their breathing rates aligned, they were not actually breathing together.

As expected, people open to new experiences were more prone to adapting than others. On the other hand, neurotic or introverted people were less likely to synchronize with others.

The study is expected to have stronger effects in other music genres than in classical music.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTELLIGENCE AND CLASSICAL MUSIC

Previously, scientists had also examined the relationship between musical taste and IQ. In the studies conducted, scientists found a link between intelligence and instrumental music such as classical, jazz, electronic, or ambient music.

The research showed that less intelligent people preferred vocal songs over complex orchestral music.

News Source: 12punto