BERN, Switzerland — Classical music concerts might do more than just entertain; they might bring audiences into mental and physical harmony, according to a new study. Study authors observed that during live performances, certain physical responses — like heart rate, breathing, and skin’s electrical conductivity (indicative of excitement) — may become synchronized among concertgoers as they immerse themselves in the melodies.
Researchers say people with agreeable and open personality traits tend to sync up more readily with other audience members.
Synchronization can be described as the alignment of two distinct processes at a meaningful level, even if they don’t happen simultaneously, researchers explain in the journal Scientific Reports. While most human synchronization is triggered by direct interactions with another individual, external, non-social factors can also induce it. Though it’s been established that music can induce synchronization in listeners, this study sought to explore if this extends to live concert audiences.
For the study, researchers from the University of Bern in Switzerland observed 132 attendees during a concert that featured compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven, Brett Dean, and Johannes Brahms, performed by a string quintet. The scientists utilized overhead cameras to track the participants’ movements and wearable sensors to monitor their physical reactions. Additionally, attendees filled out questionnaires regarding their personality and mood before and after the performance.
The researchers detected notable synchronization among the audience members in terms of movement, heart rate, breathing, and skin conductivity — highlighting the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Surprisingly, breathing rate showed the highest degree of synchronization.
The study also indicated a correlation between an individual’s personality traits and their synchronization likelihood. For instance, those identified as agreeable or open were more apt to synchronize, whereas those with neurotic or extroverted traits were less so.
The findings suggest that live music has the potential to synchronize physical responses among audience members. Furthermore, an individual’s personality traits might influence their likelihood of synchronizing with fellow attendees.
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South West News Service writer Stephen Beech contributed to this report.
