A research group led by Associate Professor Tatsuya Daikoku of the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, and Researcher Masateru Tanaka and Specially Appointed Professor Shigeto Yamawaki of the Research Center for Brain, Mind, and Kansei Science at Hiroshima University has visualized the effects of musical chords on the mind and body. As a result, they discovered that the temporal "fluctuations" of prediction errors and uncertainties in chord sequences induce physical sensations and emotional reactions in specific areas such as the heart and abdomen.
Music has been shown to evoke a variety of emotions, as well as physical sensations such as changes in heart rate and goosebumps, as well as interoceptive sensations (sensations inside the body). However, it is still unclear how the elements of music affect our minds and bodies.
In this study, we focused on chord sequences and analyzed the effects on the mind and body induced by listening to chord sequences. A body mapping test in which 8 participants asked which part of their body felt when they listened to chord string stimuli that created eight different types of prediction errors and uncertainties with temporal "fluctuations." We conducted an emotional test.
Analyzing the subjective physical sensations and emotional responses that correspond to listening to eight types of chord sequences, it was found that specific "fluctuations" in the prediction errors and uncertainties of the chord sequences caused physical sensations around the heart and abdomen (stomach). I understand. Furthermore, these sensations were found to be strongly linked to aesthetic appreciation and feelings of pleasure.
This result provides clues to understanding the influence of music on our minds and bodies. The study suggests that music may have the effect of promoting awareness of interoceptive sensations at the unconscious level, which are the root of sensibility. In addition, this result is expected to be applied in the future to the use of music to relieve stress and improve mental and physical health.
Paper information:[iScience] Bodily Maps of Uncertainty and Surprise in Musical Chord Progression and the Underlying Emotional Response
