Name:Sean McWeeny

School/Affiliation:McMaster University

Co-Authors:Adam Luoma, Yaseen Al-Saleem, Laurel J Trainor

Virtual or In-person:In-person

Abstract:

Title: Synchronous and anti-phase drumming elicit similar prosocial behavior
Authors: McWeeny, S., Luoma, A., Al-Saleem, Y., & Laurel J. Trainor

Purpose: Music performance facilitates social bonding across many cultures and contexts (Savage et al., 2021). Interestingly, the relationship between social bonding and sensorimotor synchronization (SMS) has so far primarily been demonstrated in the context of in-phase synchrony. Another type of SMS is anti-phase coordination, in which participants are moving at the same rate, at opposite phases. This case is particularly relevant for music and social bonding, as music is perhaps the clearest context for naturalistic anti-phase coordination. We thus tested whether anti-phase synchronization is as effective as in-phase synchronization at eliciting pro-social behavior. We also tested whether any cooperative or uncooperative behavior was reflected by the participants’ adaptation during a drumming task. Methods: Dyads (N = 45 dyads) were randomly assigned to complete four trials of a sensorimotor synchronization-continuation task (SCT) either alone, synchronously or in anti-phase. Before and after the SCT, dyads completed a prosocial behavioral economics game. Additionally, a Likert questionnaire about trust and cooperation was given after the SCT. Results: Cooperation rates in the stag-hunt game were near ceiling (~90%) across all condition pre-drumming. Both the anti-phase and in-phase dyads had higher levels of Likert trust and cooperation than the dyads who completed the SCT alone (F(2,42) > 6.42, all p’s < .01). Bayesian analyses provided evidence for no difference between the in-phase and anti-phase dyads. Conclusion: Anti-phase coordination is sufficient to increase prosociality as compared to in-phase synchrony. Future directions will look at EEG synchrony during anti-phase, in-phase, and complex-ratio (e.g., 7:3) phase SMS relationships.