news

Scientists have long wondered if the human brain contains neural mechanisms specific to music perception. Now, for the first time, MIT neuroscientists have identified a neural population in the human auditory cortex that responds selectively to sounds that people typically categorize as music, but not to speech or other environmental sounds.

David Greenberg (Department of Psychology) discusses how musical preferences are linked to thinking styles. We're exposed to music for nearly 20% of our waking lives. But much of our musical experience seems to be a mystery.

Seven minutes of meditation can reduce racial prejudice, study finds A popular meditation technique that's intended to create feelings of kindness can also reduce prejudice, according to new University of Sussex research. The study , published online in the journal Motivation and Emotion , found that just seven minutes of Loving-kindness meditation (LKM), a Buddhist practise that promotes unconditional kindness towards oneself and others, is effective at reducing racial bias.

When people are listening to music, their emotional reactions to the music are reflected in changes in their pupil size. Researchers from the University of Vienna and the University of Innsbruck, Austria, are the first to show that both the emotional content of the music and the listeners' personal involvement with music influence pupil dilation.

Scientists have proved that listening to music before, during and after surgery reduces people's pain, anxiety and need for painkillers - according to the most comprehensive review of available evidence so far, published today in The Lancet. Led by Queen Mary University of London, the study team analysed the results of 73 randomised controlled trials looking at the impact of music on postoperative recovery, compared with standard care or other non-medical interventions such as massage.

An analysis of video footage shows that some operating theatre teams are negatively affected by background music, during surgery. Researchers suggest that the decision to play music during an operation should be made by the entire team, taking into account both the benefits and the risks. The study, published today (5 August) in the Journal of Advanced Nursing , suggests that communication within the theatre team can be impaired when music is playing.

Extreme music - such as heavy metal - can positively influence those experiencing anger, a study by The University of Queensland has revealed. In contrast to previous studies linking loud and chaotic music to aggression and delinquency, research by UQ's School of Psychology honours student Leah Sharman and Dr Genevieve Dingle showed listeners mostly became inspired and calmed.

If you're a musician, this sounds too good to be true: UChicago psychologists have been able to train some adults to develop the prized musical ability of absolute pitch, and the training's effects last for months. Absolute pitch, commonly known as "perfect pitch," is the ability to identify a note by hearing it.

Dr Matthias Mauch discusses his recent scientific analysis of the "fossil record" of the Billboard charts prompted widespread attention, particularly the findings about the three musical "revolutions" that shaped the musical landscape of the second half of the 20th century. The journey that got me here started in 1992, when I was a sheltered 12-year-old boy, growing up in a small town in Germany.

AUSTIN, Texas - Researchers from Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin , in collaboration with the mental health-focused SIMS Foundation , have identified work and financial stress as risk factors that may increase clinical depression and anxiety among musicians, according to new study findings presented at the 36 th Annual Performing Arts Medicine Association International Symposium in Orange, California.

Participants in the study suggested that story details in the game were critical to feelings of appreciation. They also indicated that more meaningful games were associated with heightened feelings of insight or enrichment. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. It may be game over for critics who claim that video games are nothing more than a fun diversion.

A study conducted by the Scottish SPCA and the University of Glasgow shows that music has a calming effect on dogs. The research, conducted by the charity's education and research manager Gilly Mendes Ferreira and PhD student Amy Bowman, involved testing two groups of dogs over two consecutive weeks at the Scottish SPCA's Dumbarton & West of Scotland animal rescue and rehoming centre in Milton, West Dunbartonshire.

Mandarin-speaking Chinese more likely to read emotions in voices of others; English-speaking North Americans rely more on facial expressions Mandarin-speaking Chinese more likely to read emotions in voices of others; English-speaking North Americans rely more on facial expressions If you are a Mandarin-speaker from China and want to understand how someone else is feeling, you are likely to concentrate on their voice rather than on their face.

The songs of the hermit thrush, a common North American songbird, follow principles found in much human music - namely the harmonic series. Researchers from the University of Vienna, Austria, the Cornish College of the Arts, USA, and the Philipps University of Marburg, Germany, are the first to demonstrate note selection from the harmonic series in a non-human animal using rigorous analytical methods.

Press release issued: 10 September 2014 The effect of movies featuring dogs on the popularity of dog breeds can last up to ten years and is correlated with the general success of the movies, according to new research from the University of Bristol, the City University of New York, and Western Carolina University.

ANN ARBOR-Do you believe in love at first sight? If so, chances are you're not missing an episode of "The Bachelor" or "Millionaire Matchmaker." And if seeing a romantic movie is your idea of a good time, you likely believe that "love finds a way," carrying a couple through any obstacles it might face, according to a new University of Michigan study about how movies and television shows affect our beliefs about relationships and romance.

How does a DJ mix two songs to make the beat seem common to both tracks? A successful DJ makes the transition between tracks appear seamless while a bad mix is instantly noticeable and results in a 'galloping horses' effect that disrupts the dancing of the crowd. How accurate does beat mixing need to be to enhance, rather than disrupt perceived rhythm?

If music be the food of love, play something complex Although Charles Darwin first argued that music's primary function was sexual courtship, there has been little clear evidence to prove it. Now a new University of Sussex psychology study supports his theory by showing that during the most fertile phase of their menstrual cycle, women prefer sexual mates who are able to produce more complex music.

What is it about the rhythms of some music that makes us want to get up and dance? Oxford University researchers believe they may have found part of the answer in a new study. They say that an ideal balance of rhythmic predictability and complexity explains why James Brown will get most people up and grooving, while many of us struggle to tap our feet along with experimental jazz.

World-class orchestras can be accurately identified by silent video footage of performances, but not through sound recordings, a UCL study has found. Both professional musicians and musical novices are better at identifying top-ranked orchestras from non-ranked orchestras when shown silent video footage, suggesting that such judgements are driven at least in part by visual cues about group dynamics and leadership.