Musical Expression and Body Expression

Abstract

The present series of experiments used either musical excerpts which subjects listened to and then associated to verbal categories (Exp. I) or videotape recordings of body expression sequences which subjects watched and associated with the same verbal categories. These videotapes were recorded by “actors” under two conditions, (a) after the actors had listened to the musical excerpts (Exp. II) and (b) following the induction in actors of the verbal categories which had been associated to the excerpts in Exp. I (Exp. III). The results demonstrate a partial equivalence between the verbal categories associated with the music in Exp. I and those associated with the videotape recording of Exps. II and III. This partial equivalence of the verbal categories is explained by the existence of a bodily core to musical expression.

Full text

Perceptual
and
Motor
Skills,
1983, 57, 587-595.
@
Perceptual and Motor Skills
1983
MUSICAL EXPRESSION
AND
BODY EXPRESSION
ROBERT
FRANCBS
AND
MARILOU
BRUCHON-SCHWEITZER
Universit.4 de Paris
X
Summwy.-The present series of experiments used either musical excerpts
which subjects listened to and then associated to verbal categories (Exp.
I)
or videotape recordings of body expression sequences which subjects
watched and associated with the same verbal categories. These videotapes
were recorded
by
"actors" under two conditions,
(a)
after the actors had
listened to the musical excerpts (Exp. 11) and (b) following the induction
in actors of the verbal categories which had been associated to the excerpts
in Exp.
I
(Exp. 111). The results demonstrate a partial equivalence
between
the verbal categories associated with the music in Exp. I and those associated
with the videotape recording of Exps. I1 and 111. This partial equivalence of
the verbal categories is explained by the existence of
a
bodily core to musical
expression.
Much experimental research has been published on musical expression,
from Gilman (1899) to Delacroix (1927) and more recently by Hevner
(
1936), Franc& (1958), and Imberty (1979). Most of these experiments,
using verbal responses of listeners to musical excerpts, are merely descriptive.
The authors try to discover the internal consistency of the responses associated
to the same excerpt or to determine the underlying dimensions of the expressive
meanings associated to a sample of musical stimuli. Body expression has often
been studied in relation with other components of personality (Bruchon, 1973)
and
with
emotion
(Ekman,
1973).
Expressive movements
seem
to be of
a
consistent nature and appear to be organized in general dimensions like gestural
expansivity for example
(Bruchoq
1972-73,
1974).
Using a method of verbal association with various sets of stimuli, Franc&
(
1958)
came to the conclusion that musical expression may be partly explained
by emotional mods or behavior having in common, for each excerpt, either a
special style of motor activity (kinetic schemes) or a certain degree of muscular
tension or release involved in a bodily posture.
This imaginary bodily referent symbolizes the core expressive pattern of
the perceived music, but other conventional meanings (of mode, color tone,
harmony) are added to this pattern, which bring in more expressive details or
peculiarities: minor mode is conventionally associated
with
sadness, and major
mode with mirth; these conventional meanings are generally recognized by
listeners.
Dissonant chords are generally perceived as cues of tension and consonant
chords as cues of release. This is largely a conventional fact, although stimulus
'Laboratoire de Psychologie Exp5rimentale et Differentielle, Universite de Paris
X,
92001
Nanterre, France.