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Negotiating between individual and joint goals in ensemble musical performance
Jennifer MacRitchie1, Steffen A Herff1, Andrea Procopio1
1The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia.
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)
|June 7, 2017
Summary
Piano duos negotiate conflicting musical instructions by prioritizing joint tempo but individual dynamics. Musical expertise influences individual performance, not the balance of joint versus individual goals.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Music Performance Science
- Social Interaction
Background:
- Joint action necessitates effective negotiation, particularly when goals conflict.
- Understanding negotiation strategies in collaborative tasks like musical performance is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how pianists negotiate incongruent musical instructions (tempo and dynamics).
- To examine the influence of musical expertise and locus of control on negotiation strategies.
- To determine if performers prioritize individual goals or joint outcomes during negotiation.
Main Methods:
- Piano duos performed back-to-back with manipulated congruent/incongruent score instructions for tempo and dynamics.
- Performers were unaware of the congruence manipulation and could not communicate verbally.
- Coordination was assessed over four repeated performances.
Main Results:
- Interpersonal coordination improved across performances in both congruent and incongruent conditions.
- Incongruent conditions revealed a prioritization of joint performance for tempo, but individual performance for dynamics.
- Musical expertise modulated individual performance but not the overall balance of joint/individual prioritization.
Conclusions:
- Co-performers adapt their negotiation strategies based on the specific musical parameter (tempo vs. dynamics).
- While tempo negotiation favors the collective outcome, dynamics negotiation leans towards individual goals.
- Factors like musical expertise and locus of control do not significantly alter the balance between individual and joint performance prioritization.
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