Effect of clapping movement with groove rhythm on executive function: focusing on audiomotor entrainment

Groove rhythm, known for inducing the desire to move to music, could enhance the cognitive benefits of exercise, especially in individuals familiar with groove. Audiomotor entrainment and concurrent positive affect are considered key modulating factors in the effects of exercise set to groove rhythm. Clapping movement could facilitate audiomotor entrainment, which may benefit positive affect and cognition. This study aimed to examine the effect of clapping with groove rhythm (CL) on audiomotor entrainment, positive affect, and executive function (EF).

Thirty-three healthy university students participated in two experiments. In Experiment 1, psychological responses to 2-minute exercise were assessed across two conditions: CL condition and non-clapping and arm rotation movement with groove rhythm (NC condition). In Experiment 2, participants performed 3-minute CL and NC on separate days, and the color-ward Stroop test and psychological measures were evaluated.

CL increased subjective audiomotor entrainment and positive affect more than NC. However, no effect on EF was observed. Correlation analysis revealed higher subjective audiomotor entrainment and positive affect in the CL condition were associated with EF improvement.

Clapping is a preferable exercise type for subjective audiomotor entrainment and positive affect, but the effect on EF varied among individuals. Subjective audiomotor entrainment and positive affect could modulate the effect of CL on EF.