Group Identity through Entrainment:
Therapeutic Tool for Special Populations
Hannah Percival Texas Tech University (hannah.percival@ttu.edu)
Background
Entrainment occurs when distinct rhythmic
entities interact to synchronize impulses
(Phillips-Silver et al., 2016). While entrainment
can occur in a variety of contexts, this poster
focuses on rhythmic and social entrainment.
This poster proposes that rhythmic entrainment
in individuals can expand into social
entrainment when experienced in a group
context. People with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
struggle with entrainment, which is linked with
impaired social communication (Amos, 2013;
Fitzpatrick et al., 2016). This study investigates
the role of rhythmic entrainment as an additional
modality for learning social entrainment. Musical
bonding can lead to more effective social
communication through rhythmic entrainment.
A Theory of Musical Bonding
Individuals are bonded together through
shared social reactions evoked by
rhythmic entrainment.
Possible Therapeutic Outcomes
of Group Identity through
Rhythmic Entrainment
• Mitigates isolation.
• More effective social communication.
• Embodied cognition is an additional
therapeutic modality.
• Priming for more cognitively-based
therapeutic approaches.
Travel funding provided by the College of Visual and Performing Arts at TTU.
Research Design
Hypothesis: Music can facilitate a
stronger group identity than physical
movement alone.
Stimulus: An original Electronic Dance Music
excerpt in 5/4 meter that changes from (2+3) to
(3+2) division.
Task: Confederates will encourage the correct
swaying pattern. Experimental group will hear
music while control group sways in the same
pattern without music. Between-subjects design.
Population: College-aged students with Autistic
Spectrum Disorder.
Anticipated outcomes: Experimental group will
demonstrate higher behavioral indications of
entrainment compared to control group. This
group will also have a greater score difference
between pre- and post-test adminstrations of
Social Connectness Scale (Lee & Robbings,
1995) and UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell,
Peplau, & Ferguson, 1978) than the control
group.
Directions for Future Research
• Behavioral measurements of social
entrainment.
• Exploration of social entrainment
measurement that works well with
movement.
References
Amos, P. (2013). Rhythm and timing in autism: Learning to dance.
Frontiers in Psychology, 7 (27).
Fitzpatrick, P., Frazier, J.A., Cochran, D.M., Mitchell, T. Coleman, C. &
Schmidt, R.C. (2016). Impairments of social motor synchrony
evident in autism spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Psychology,
7 (1323).
Lee, R. M. & Robbins, S. B. (1995). Measuring belongingness: The
social connectedness and the social assurance scales.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, 42(2), 232-241.
Phillips-Silver, J., Aktipis, C.A., Bryant, G.A. (2010). The ecology of
entrainment: Foundations of coordinated rhythmic movement.
Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 28 (1), 3-14.
Russell, D., Peplau, L. A. , & Ferguson, M. L. (1978). Developing a
measure of loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment,
42(3), 290-294.