Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Research on the crossmodal correspondences has revealed that seemingly unrelated perceptual information can be matched across the senses in a manner that is consistent across individuals. An interesting extension of this line of research is to study how sensory information biases action. In the present study, we investigated whether different sounds (i.e. tones and piano chords) would bias participants' hand movements in a free movement task. Right-handed participants were instructed to move a computer mouse in order to represent three tones and two chords. They also had to rate each sound in terms of three visual analogue scales (slow-fast, unpleasant-pleasant, and weak-strong). The results demonstrate that tones and chords influence hand movements, with higher-(lower-)pitched sounds giving rise to a significant bias towards upper (lower) locations in space. These results are discussed in terms of the literature on forward models, embodied cognition, crossmodal correspondences, and mental imagery. Potential applications sports and rehabilitation are discussed briefly.

Original publication

DOI

10.1007/s00221-016-4747-9

Type

Journal article

Journal

Exp Brain Res

Publication Date

12/2016

Volume

234

Pages

3509 - 3522

Keywords

Crossmodal correspondences, Embodied cognition, Mouse-tracking, Movement, Sound, Space, Valence, Acoustic Stimulation, Adolescent, Adult, Auditory Perception, Female, Functional Laterality, Hand, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Movement, Sound, Time Factors, Visual Analog Scale, Young Adult