Psychophysiological correlates of absorptive music listening

Abstract

The phenomenological experience of being immersed while listening to music is one that has been extensively described by literary writers, and is widely experienced by human listeners across cultures. The scientific understanding of the absorption state is however rudimentary. Absorption refers to becoming deeply immersed without distraction. This research project seeks to advance our mechanistic understanding of mental states by measuring the phenomenological and psychophysiological properties of absorption. Detailed psychophysiological measurements (including ECG, respiration, EDA, temperature, pupil diameter, and eye-tracking) were made while participants listened to self-chosen absorptive and non-absorptive music. Participants indicated their level of absorption using a self-report slider (and also any episodes of musical chills using a button), as well as by completing a post-block retrospective self-report questionnaire that included open-ended questions. We also used questionnaires to assess each participant’s absorption, music reward, musical experience, and personality traits. Previous studies of absorption (musical or otherwise) have only used questionnaire-based behavioral assessments and/or limited psychophysiological measurements. We found that participants reported significantly higher absorption during the absorptive music listening blocks compared to both non-absorptive music listening blocks and rest periods. These results confirm that the block design effectively induced distinct subjective states as intended. Listening to absorptive music was linked to a shift in autonomic function whose overall pattern suggested increased sympathetic activity relative to parasympathetic activity. We found decreased respiratory sinus arrhythmia during absorptive music listening, compared to the non-absorptive music listening and rest conditions. The respiratory rate was increased during absorptive and non-absorptive music listening, compared to the rest condition. Absorptive music listening, like trance, appears to be characterized by an increase in relative sympathetic activity, whereas inward-attention practices such as Zen meditation are characterized by an increase in relative parasympathetic activity. Further recordings from people listening to varied sound stimuli are needed to establish the extent to which these changes are specific to music. By comprehensively measuring key psychophysiological variables related to absorption, we have obtained a unique dataset that will enable us to begin developing a process model of absorption. This dataset, which will be made publicly available, will enable precise study of the relationship between absorption, brain, and body in a naturalistic setting. Our long-term goal is to use this understanding to improve methods to allow individuals to position themselves in more desirable mental states including for example, during music therapy