Name:Synthia Xing

School/Affiliation:McMaster University

Co-Authors:Dan Bosnyak, Lauren Fink, Daniel Cameron

Virtual or In-person:In-person

Short Bio:

Synthia is a third year undergraduate student in the B.Sc. Honours Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour Program at McMaster university. She began learning music throughout her childhood, and her gravitation to the subject propelled her to understand why music has such a profound impact on people. She is interested in the neurobiological mechanisms of brain processing and the human perception of music.

Abstract:

Why does bass make us want to dance? The presence of low frequencies (bass) during music listening is associated with subjective pleasure and the urge to move. Previous research conducted in a live concert setting demonstrated that the presence of very low frequencies (VLFs)—which are lower than usually used in music—increased audience movement, even when the VLFs were not consciously detectable. These findings raise the questions: how are these undetectable VLFs perceived, and through what physiological mechanisms? The current study investigated the effects of VLF intensity and sensory modality on both subjective and physiological responses during music listening. Participants heard music clips with additional VLF stimulation (or no VLF stimulation) delivered either via the auditory/vestibular systems through headphones or via the tactile system through a vibrotactile backpack. The VLFs were also delivered with one of four intensity levels, from very low to very high. Participants rated each trial on their subjective enjoyment and urge-to-move. We also measured participants’ physiological responses—pupil responses, head movement, and galvanic skin responses. Analyses are ongoing to test whether VLF intensity and modality affected ratings of subjective pleasure and the urge to move, and physiological responses, particularly pupil diameter. Preliminary results suggest that VLFs elicited pupil dilation when delivered to auditory/vestibular systems but not tactile systems, and according to the intensity of the VLFs, particularly when listeners are enjoying the music. Eventual results will help us understand how bass contributes to musical experience.