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Exploring the dynamics of intentional sensorimotor desynchronization using phasing performance in music
1Department of Psychological Sciences, Center for the Ecological Study of Perception and Action, Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States.
Frontiers in Psychology
|November 29, 2023
Summary
Intentional sensorimotor desynchronization, or phasing, involves controlled rhythmic decoupling. This study models non-expert phasing behavior, revealing successful phasing requires gradual phase shifts and tempo influences failure types.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Music Psychology
- Dynamical Systems Theory
Background:
- Humans naturally synchronize but can intentionally desynchronize.
- Phasing in music involves controlled desynchronization between performers.
- Previous studies explored expert phasing and simplified metronome tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate intentional sensorimotor desynchronization dynamics in non-experts.
- Analyze phasing behavior against a metronome using a dynamical systems approach.
- Model phasing performance to capture intrinsic and intentional control interactions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from a simplified phasing task against a metronome.
- Classification of trials into successful, unsuccessful, or incomplete phasing laps.
- Development of a dynamical model simulating an adaptive-frequency oscillator coupled to a stimulus.
Main Results:
- Successful phasing necessitates a gradual increment in relative phase.
- Different failure modes (unsuccessful vs. incomplete) correlate with metronome tempo.
- The proposed model successfully replicates observed phasing behaviors and tempo effects.
Conclusions:
- Phasing performance is governed by nonlinear dynamics of rhythmic coordination.
- The musical technique of phasing offers a unique paradigm for studying human rhythmic behavior.
- The model captures the interplay between intrinsic synchronization tendencies and intentional desynchronization control.
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