Music & Sensory Perception/Attention

• April Kwon, Cognitive Science, University of Delaware

• Stuart McCaughey, Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware

Some individuals devote extensive periods to learning and practicing music, and this behavior is known to alter brain activity and some kinds of sensory sensitivity. Current research heavily emphasizes how the auditory and visual cortices are affected in musicians. Many past studies have also examined how musical training provides various cognitive benefits such as attention to detail, problem-solving skills, memory, and precision and coordination in movement. There are also ongoing studies on rare but aversive neurological impacts on musicians. However, there is limited research exploring how all five senses- especially touch, taste, and smell- are influenced by musical training. The underlying mechanisms behind these varying cognitive enhancements and disorders also remain under-examined.

This project aims to fill in the gap by further exploring the connection between music and sensory perception/attention. The study will focus on literature-based analysis and the administration of a questionnaire to both musicians and non-musicians with varying levels of current and past musical training. The results will be analyzed to compare whether musicians and non-musicians differ on their answers to sensory- and attention-related questions. The work conducted in this study may contribute to a deeper understanding of how musical training alters neural processes related to attention and sensory processing. This knowledge, in turn. may help to improve the lives of musicians.