Visualizing psychophysiological responses to music stimuli

Abstract

Music and emotion are deeply connected in the human experience. From the physiological realm to the cultural perspective, music is known for its capability to modify and drive human emotions, mood and movement. Thereby, music, in combination with technology, can effectively supply powerful tools to raise awareness of internal processes, and provide access to physiological data. This thesis explores the main physiological responses to musical sounds, with a special focus on the breathing mechanisms. The first part contains a literature review of relevant research on human psychophysiological responses to different types of music, and how these responses relate to attributes of the auditory stimuli. The second part presents a prototype design of a visual interactive application based on the user's respiration response to music. The visualizations generated by the application "Breath Painting" have the potential to feature music apps focused on relaxation and wellness. It integrates gamification tools for mental health support applications. It can also be utilized for educational purposes by raising awareness of the importance of music and respiration for the human mental health. The prototype shows how it is possible to make physiological data and musical features accessible to the general public in a visually appealing design.