Does the Audience Hear My Heart? Comparing the Physiological Responses of Listeners with Those of the Composer

摘要

Based on the assumption that composers compose with specific "intentions" in mind, we have conducted experiments to compare the "impressions" perceived by individual listeners with those "intentions" of the composer. We recorded physiological signals (skin conductance and finger tip temperature) of both the composer and listeners as they listened to the same music. Listener data was then cumulated and averaged for each song and compared to the data of the composer. Overall tendencies in physiological data, as well as a separate survey taken regarding emotions conveyed in the music, showed similarities between composer "intentions" and listener "impressions", indicating positive possibilities for using physiological data as an objective index of composers in future studies.