scholarly journals Affective and Cognitive Responses to Musical Performances of Early 20th Century Classical Solo Piano Compositions

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-266
Author(s):  
Mary C. Broughton ◽  
Jessie Dimmick ◽  
Roger T. Dean
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Musical Performance ◽  
Action Understanding ◽  
Cognitive Responses ◽  
Audience Engagement ◽  
Musical Performances ◽  
Motor Expertise ◽  
Solo Piano

Effective audience engagement with musical performance involves social, cognitive and affective elements. We investigate the influence of observers’ musical expertise and instrumental motor expertise on their affective and cognitive responses to complex and unfamiliar classical piano performances of works by Scriabin and Hanson presented in audio and audio-visual formats. Observers gave their felt affect (arousal and valence) and their action understanding responses continuously while observing the performances. Liking and familiarity were rated after each excerpt. As hypothesized: visual information enhanced observers’ action understanding and liking ratings; observers with music training rated their action understanding, liking and familiarity higher than did nonmusicians; observers’ felt affect did not vary according to their musical or motor expertise. Contrary to our hypotheses: visual information had only a slight effect on observers’ arousal felt affect responses and none on valence; musicians’ specific instrumental motor expertise did not influence action understanding responses. We also observed a significant negative relationship between action understanding and felt affect responses. Ideas of empathy in musical interactions motivated the research; the empathy framework in relation to musical performance is discussed. Nonmusician audiences might be sensitized to challenging musical performances through multimodal strategies to build the performer-observer connection and increase understanding of performance.

Gendering Emotions: Ṭarab, Women and Musical Performance in Three Biographical Narratives from ‘The Book of Songs’

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-183
Author(s):  
Karen Moukheiber
Keyword(s):  
Formative Period ◽  
Musical Performance ◽  
Ruling Elite ◽  
Islamic History ◽  
Musical Performances ◽  
Slave Women ◽  
Social Conduct ◽  
Literary Biographies ◽  
The One ◽  
The Book Of Songs

Musical performance was a distinctive feature of urban culture in the formative period of Islamic history. At the court of the Abbasid caliphs, and in the residences of the ruling elite, men and women singers performed to predominantly male audiences. The success of a performer was linked to his or her ability to elicit ṭarab, namely a spectrum of emotions and affects, in their audiences. Ṭarab was criticized by religious scholars due, in part, to the controversial performances at court of slave women singers depicted as using music to induce passion in men, diverting them from normative ethical social conduct. This critique, in turn, shaped the ethical boundaries of musical performances and affective responses to them. Abū l-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī’s tenth-century Kitāb al-Aghānī (‘The Book of Songs’) compiles literary biographies of prominent male and female singers from the formative period of Islamic history. It offers rich descriptions of musical performances as well as ensuing manifestations of ṭarab in audiences, revealing at times the polemics with which they were associated. Investigating three biographical narratives from Kitāb al-Aghānī, this paper seeks to answer the following question: How did emotions, gender and status shape on the one hand the musical performances of women singers and on the other their audiences’ emotional responses, holistically referred to as ṭarab. Through this question, this paper seeks to nuance and complicate our understanding of the constraints and opportunities that shaped slave and free women's musical performances, as well as men's performances, at the Abbasid court.

scholarly journals Examination of Driver Visual and Cognitive Responses to Billboard Elicited Passive Distraction Using Eye-Fixation Related Potential

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1471
Author(s):  
Yongxiang Wang ◽  
William Clifford ◽  
Charles Markham ◽  
Catherine Deegan
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Eye Gaze ◽  
Driver Distraction ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Human Information Processing ◽  
Cognitive Responses ◽  
Information Processing Model ◽  
Eye Fixation

Distractions external to a vehicle contribute to visual attention diversion that may cause traffic accidents. As a low-cost and efficient advertising solution, billboards are widely installed on side of the road, especially the motorway. However, the effect of billboards on driver distraction, eye gaze, and cognition has not been fully investigated. This study utilises a customised driving simulator and synchronised electroencephalography (EEG) and eye tracking system to investigate the cognitive processes relating to the processing of driver visual information. A distinction is made between eye gaze fixations relating to stimuli that assist driving and others that may be a source of distraction. The study compares the driver’s cognitive responses to fixations on billboards with fixations on the vehicle dashboard. The measured eye-fixation related potential (EFRP) shows that the P1 components are similar; however, the subsequent N1 and P2 components differ. In addition, an EEG motor response is observed when the driver makes an adjustment of driving speed when prompted by speed limit signs. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed measurement system is a valid tool in assessing driver cognition and suggests the cognitive level of engagement to the billboard is likely to be a precursor to driver distraction. The experimental results are compared with the human information processing model found in the literature.

A Qualitative Inquiry into Musical Performance Anxiety

2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-82
Author(s):  
Joann Marie Kirchner
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Performance Anxiety ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Musical Performance ◽  
Solo Piano ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Negative Thoughts ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Musical Performance Anxiety ◽  
The Individual

This study examined the experience of performance anxiety in solo piano playing from the perspective of the participants. Research questions focusing on the following categories were addressed: (1) What does the experience of performance anxiety feel like to a solo pianist? (2) What are the ways in which performance anxiety manifests itself? A qualitative methodology was employed in this study. Six pianists on the faculties of southwestern colleges and universities were chosen selectively for participation. A survey questionnaire and an individual interview were used to collect data. The researcher analyzed the transcripts of the interviews, and codes were developed accordingly. The categories of research questions were used for the interpretation of the findings. The symptoms of performance anxiety manifested themselves through a combination of thought processes, feelings, and physiologic responses, activated by the perception of a threat by the performer. Negative thoughts and feelings dominated the experience of musical performance anxiety and undermined the self-confidence level of the performer. The identity of the performer was affected by how the individual viewed himself or herself and the individual’s perception of how others viewed him or her.

Relating the “mirrorness” of mirror neurons to their origins

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Kilner ◽  
Karl J. Friston
Keyword(s):  
Social Communication ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Action Understanding ◽  
Neuron Function

AbstractEver since their discovery, mirror neurons have generated much interest and debate. A commonly held view of mirror neuron function is that they transform “visual information into knowledge,” thus enabling action understanding and non-verbal social communication between con-specifics (Rizzolatti & Craighero 2004). This functionality is thought to be so important that it has been argued that mirror neurons must be a result of selective pressure.

The Role of Timing Patterns in Recognition of Emotional Expression from Musical Performance

1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrik N. Juslin ◽  
Guy Madison
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Musical Performance ◽  
Acoustic Cues ◽  
Musical Performances ◽  
Decoding Accuracy ◽  
Better Than

The purpose of this study was to explore whether listeners can use timing patterns to decode the intended emotional expression of musical performances. We gradually removed different acoustic cues (tempo, dynamics, timing, articulation) from piano performances rendered with various intended expressions (anger, sadness, happiness, fear) to see how such manipulations would affect a listener's ability to decode the emotional expression. The results show that (a) removing the timing patterns yielded a significant decrease in listeners' decoding accuracy, (b) timing patterns were by themselves capable of communicating some emotions with accuracy better than chance, and (c) timing patterns were less effective in communicating emotions than were tempo and dynamics. Implications for research on timing in performance are discussed.

scholarly journals Effects of childhood maltreatment on social cognition and brain functional connectivity in borderline personality disorder patients

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xochitl Duque ◽  
Ruth Alcalá-Lozano ◽  
Jorge J. González-Olvera ◽  
Eduardo A. Garza-Villarreal ◽  
Francisco Pellicer
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Cognitive Responses ◽  
Cognitive Paradigms

AbstractBorderline personality disorder (BPD) is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of impulsivity, affective instability, and difficulty to establish and manage interpersonal relationships. This paper assessed differences in performance on social cognitive paradigms (MASC, RMTE) and how it related to child abuse. Specifically, it evaluated the relationship between performance on cognitive paradigms and baseline brain connectivity in patients with BPD, compared to healthy controls.BPD patients had higher levels of childhood maltreatment, increased impulsivity and aggression, and more dissociative symptoms than control subjects. For the sexual abuse subdimension, there were no differences between the BPD and the control groups, but there was a negative correlation between MASC scores and total childhood maltreatment levels, as well as between physical abuse, physical negligence, and MASC. Both groups showed that the higher the level of childhood maltreatment, the lower the performance on the MASC social cognitive test. Further, in the BPD group, there was hypoconnectivity between the structures responsible for emotion regulation and social cognitive responses that have been described as part of the frontolimbic circuitry. The more serious the child abuse, the lower the connectivity.

Timbral perception is influenced by unconscious presentation of hands playing musical instruments

2021 ◽  
pp. 174702182110480
Author(s):  
Hirokazu Doi ◽  
Kazuki Yamaguchi ◽  
Shoma Sugisaki
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Visual Image ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Musical Instruments ◽  
Musical Performance ◽  
Conscious Awareness ◽  
Crossmodal Integration ◽  
Musical Sound ◽  
Musical Tone

Timbre is an integral dimension of musical sound quality, and people accumulate knowledge about timbre of sounds generated by various musical instruments throughout their life. Recent studies have proposed the possibility that musical sound is crossmodally integrated with visual information related to the sound. However, little is known about the influence of visual information on musical timbre perception. The present study investigated the automaticity of crossmodal integration between musical timbre and visual image of hands playing musical instruments. In the experiment, an image of hands playing piano or violin, or a control scrambled image was presented to participants unconsciously. Simultaneously, participants heard intermediate sounds synthesised by morphing piano and violin sounds with the same note. The participants answered whether the musical tone sounded like piano or violin. The results revealed that participants were more likely to perceive violin sound when an image of a violin was presented unconsciously than when playing piano was presented. This finding indicates that timbral perception of musical sound is influenced by visual information of musical performance without conscious awareness, supporting the automaticity of crossmodal integration in musical timbre perception.

Exploring decision consistency and decision accuracy across rating designs in rater-mediated music performance assessments

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie A. Wind ◽  
Pey Shin Ooi ◽  
George Engelhard
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scales ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Performance Assessments ◽  
Musical Performance ◽  
Musical Performances ◽  
Music Assessment ◽  
Adjustment Procedure ◽  
Decision Consistency ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Rater Severity

Music performance assessments frequently include panels of raters who evaluate the quality of musical performances using rating scales. As a result of practical considerations, it is often not possible to obtain ratings from every rater on every performance (i.e., complete rating designs). When there are differences in rater severity, and not all raters rate all performances, ratings of musical performances and their resulting classification (e.g., pass or fail) depend on the “luck of the rater draw.” In this study, we explored the implications of different types of incomplete rating designs for the classification of musical performances in rater-mediated musical performance assessments. We present a procedure that researchers and practitioners can use to adjust student scores for differences in rater severity when incomplete rating designs are used, and we consider the effects of the adjustment procedure across different types of rating designs. Our results suggested that differences in rater severity have large practical consequences for ratings of musical performances that impact individual students and group of students differently. Furthermore, our findings suggest that it is possible to adjust musical performance ratings for differences in rater severity as long as there are common raters across scoring panels. We consider the implications of our findings as they relate to music assessment research and practice.

scholarly journals Artistic and conceptual tasks of a musician in solo and ensemble performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (S2) ◽  
pp. 774-784
Author(s):  
Olha V. Ohanezova-Hryhorenko ◽  
Liudmyla I. Povzun ◽  
Olena A. Khoroshavina ◽  
Tetiana O. Fedchun ◽  
Kateryna I. Yerhiieva
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Comparative Methods ◽  
Musical Performance ◽  
Musical Performances ◽  
Theoretical Methods ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Ensemble Performance ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis

The relevance of this study is justified by the necessity to investigate the tasks for the improvement of musician’s professional skills. Artistic perception of the surrounding world is based on active artistic and conceptual thinking. The purpose of this study is to define artistic and conceptual tasks of a musician. In addition, the primary purpose of this research is to consider and analyze the tasks of a performing musician. The methodological background of this study is shaped by theoretical methods of scientific knowledge. For this, the study involved such research methods as analysis and synthesis of information, as well as analytical, cultural and comparative methods. The first stage of the study was a theoretical analysis of academic literature. For the sake of this study, the types of musical performances and interpretations of works as well as the main tasks of the performing musician were considered. It was determined that musical performance is a form of art that involves the reproduction of music in a variety of ways. As a result, it was established that the task of a musician is to decipher the emotional and sensual image created by the author of the work. 

scholarly journals Impact of consumer innovativeness on really new product adoption

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Seyed Esfahani ◽  
Nina Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
New Product ◽  
Consumer Innovativeness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Attitude ◽  
2D And 3D

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore consumer innovativeness as a personality trait and addresses the hedonic, social, cognitive and functional motivational elements that lie behind consumer innovativeness. It explores the weak relationship between consumer innovativeness and really new product (novel innovation) adoption and challenges the classic relationship between consumer learning, attitude and intention.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a quantitative approach, gathering survey data via an institutional online platform. A total of 300 participants were recruited. Participants were directed to a website presenting the information of the product with the inclusion of 2D and 3D images and an avatar. For data analysis, CFA and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used.FindingsResults indicate a positive impact of attitude on comprehension and intention. In addition, hedonic innovativeness positively impacts customer's attitude, whereas there is a negative relationship between social innovativeness and attitude. Motivational elements of innovation, with the exception of hedonic motivation, positively influence purchase intention.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of the study lies in the measurement of purchase intention, as actual purchases cannot be assessed as the products are not yet available. The findings encourage marketers to target innovators first, ideally innovators motivated by hedonic needs.Practical implicationsThe findings encourage marketers to target innovators first, perhaps for a long-term, innovators motivated by hedonic needs, as they are the ones who change their attitude positively towards novel innovation when presented in an aesthetically pleasant manner.Originality/valueThis study challenges the classic theories identifying the link between comprehension, attitude and purchase intention within the field of innovation. The findings indicate that while interacting with really new products, comprehension does not necessarily lead to attitude and intention but attitude does positively influence both intention and comprehension.

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