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Is neural entrainment to rhythms the basis of social bonding through music?
Jessica A Grahn1, Anna-Katharina R Bauer2,3, Anna Zamm4
1Department of Psychology, Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ONN6A 3K7, Canada. jgrahn@uwo.ca; www.jessicagrahn.com.
Abstract:
Music uses the evolutionarily unique temporal sensitivity of the auditory system and its tight coupling to the motor system to create a common neurophysiological clock between individuals that facilitates action coordination. We propose that this shared common clock arises from entrainment to musical rhythms, the process by which partners' brains and bodies become temporally aligned to the same rhythmic pulse.
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