Name:Cindy, He

School/Affiliation:McMaster University

Co-Authors:Emily Wood, Rachael Finnerty, Sean McWeeny, Laurel Trainor

Virtual or In-person:In-person

Abstract:

Experiencing music together strengthens social bonds. While many studies have focused on how synchronized movement to music fosters connection (Mogan et al., 2017), sharing a music preference may have similar effects (Boer et al., 2011). It is possible that listening to preferred music together enhances social bonding, or that individuals with similar tastes already feel connected, and shared listening does not amplify this bond. In this study, we examined how music preferences influence social bonding within groups who passively listen together. Undergraduate students listened to music in groups of four through headphones. We recruited participants based on music preferences screened in a prior survey, forming groups of either all Fans or Non-Fans of either Pop or K-Pop (6 groups per condition, N=96). We measured the likability of group members pre- and post-listening, cooperation through a public goods game, and recorded head movements via motion capture. The results revealed a significant effect of Fan Group, with Fans helping group members more than Non-Fans, driven by the Pop Fans group but absent in K-Pop Fans. This suggests there may be something unique about pop music that fosters greater similarity and cooperation (Santos et al., 2023). Although Fans liked each other more than Non-Fans, there was no change from pre- to post-listening, suggesting that music listening did not influence this effect. These findings indicate that shared music preferences foster connection and cooperation, but further listening together may not amplify this bond. Analyses of motion capture data are ongoing.