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Why Musical Groove Makes Us Move: An Electroencephalographic Investigation, Samantha Reina O'Connell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Moving to the groove of the music is a phenomenal and universal human behavior. Common characteristics to most dance music include a salient beat, rhythmic complexity, and a dynamic musical structure. What is unknown, however, is why music has the power to promote physical movement. Musical rhythm and motor processing are tightly linked activating brain areas important for motor preparation and execution. While studies demonstrate that the motor system is active during beat processing, it is still unclear how musical groove, a beat-influenced quality to music that makes us want to move, can engage these motor areas. Here, I performed …