Researchers from the University of Arkansas, Arizona State University and the University of Connecticut have found using fMRI that surmounting bias about music quality requires a great amount of cognitive effort. The research was published April 18 in Scientific Reports.
"This data demonstrates how critical factors outside the notes themselves, like the information you have about a performer (explicitly in the form of a prime or implicitly in the form of positioning on stage at Carnegie Hall or on a subway platform) can transform what you are able to hear and how you evaluate a musical performance," said Elizabeth Margulis, PhD, a professor of music theory and music cognition at the University of Arkansas, in a prepared statement.
Twenty participants without formal music training underwent fMRI exams for the study at the Brain Imaging Research Center at the University of Connecticut. All participants were required to listen to eight pairs of 70-second musical experts in random order after being falsely told that one was played by a student pianist and another by a professional.
Researchers then examined regions of the brain associated with auditory processing, pleasure, reward and cognitive control and each participant and rated their enjoyment of each expert on a 10-point scale.
"Our findings are relevant for behavioral economists, psychologists and artists alike, as they demonstrate that 'deliberative and effortful thinking' can play a crucial role in overcoming cognitive heuristics related to socially constructed concepts and stereotype," the researchers wrote.
A recent graduate from Dominican University (IL) with a bachelor’s in journalism, Melissa joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering all aspects of health imaging. She’s a fan of singing and playing guitar, elephants, a good cup of tea, and her golden retriever Cooper.