how do babies know to move to music before anyone has taught them to do so.
In: 168
Because humans are hard-wired to move when we hear music, and music directly influences movement. Here are two of the main phenomena at play:
1. Music activates the part of the brain associated with movement, which “primes” (ie, prepares) the body to move.
2. Our bodies automatically match our movements to the beat of music. This is a phenomenon called rhythmic entrainment, and it’s used a lot in physical rehabilitation with stroke and traumatic brain injury patients.
Here are a couple sources, though there’s a lot more research out there on this topic:
Grahn, J. A., & Brett, M. (2007). Rhythm and beat perception in motor areas of the brain. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 19(5), 893-906. doi:10.1162/jocn.2007.19.5.893
Thaut, M.H., & Hoemberg, V. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of neurologic music therapy. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Chen, J. L., Penhune, V. B., & Zatorre, R. J. (2008). Listening to musical rhythms recruits motor regions of the brain. Cerebral Cortex, 18(12), 2844-2854.
Latest Answers