Abstract: What is it about music that makes us want to move? And why does it feel so good? In this talk, I will present a series of empirical studies investigating the relationship between pleasure, body-movement and groove. Methodologies include rating surveys, motion-capture, cross-cultural comparisons, fMRI and whole-brain computational modelling. While my earlier studies focused almost exclusively on rhythmic properties – specifically syncopation – more recent experiments have shown that harmonic complexity interacts with rhythmic complexity in the pleasurable experience of groove. During the talk, I will also consider the implications of groove research for embodied theories of cognition.
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Maria Witek is senior research fellow in music cognition, psychology and neuroscience at the University of Birmingham. Her research areas are rhythm, body-movement, affect and musical groove.