Neurophysiological and Behavioral Measures of Musical Engagement

Inter-subject correlations (ISCs) of cortical responses have been shown to index audience engagement with narrative works. In parallel lines of research, continuous self-reports and physiological measures have linked listener engagement and arousal with specific musical events. Here we combine EEG-ISCs, physiological responses, and continuous self-reports to assess listener engagement and arousal in response to a full-length musical excerpt. The temporal resolution of these measures permits connections to be drawn among them, and also to corresponding musical events in the stimulus. Simultaneous 128-channel EEG, ECG, and respiratory inductive plethysmography were recorded from 13 musicians who heard the first movement of Elgar’s E-Minor Cello Concerto in original and reversed conditions. Continuous self-reports of engagement with each excerpt were collected in a separate listen. ISCs of EEG responses were computed in the subspace of its maximally correlated component. Temporally resolved measures of activity and synchrony were computed from heart rate, respiratory rate, respiratory amplitude, and continuous behavioral responses. Results indicate that all but one of the response measures (heart rate activity) achieves statistical significance over the course of the original excerpt. Furthermore, regions of statistical significance can be linked to salient musical events. Finally, activity and synchrony of a given physiological or behavioral response at times occur in alternation, highlighting the utility of considering both measures. These findings constitute a first step toward relating EEG-based measures of engagement to physiology and behavior, while also helping to further disentangle engagement and arousal.