"Cultural Influence on Rhythm Interpretation in the Human Brain"
TL;DR
A large-scale study led by researchers at MIT and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics found that the human brain appears biased toward hearing and producing rhythms composed of simple integer ratios, but the favored ratios can vary greatly between different societies. The study, which included 39 groups of participants from 15 countries, revealed biases for integer ratios in every group tested, but with variations across cultures. The findings suggest a mechanism that aids in the perception and production of music, and highlight the importance of considering diverse populations in studies of music perception.
- Exposure to different kinds of music influences how the brain interprets rhythm Medical Xpress
- Commonality and variation in mental representations of music revealed by a cross-cultural comparison of rhythm priors in 15 countries Nature.com
- Music's Universal Pulse: Body and Emotions Unite Across Cultures Neuroscience News
- Do all humans feel music the same way? Big Think
- Experts find cultural differences in how we interpret rhythm Earth.com
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on Medical Xpress