(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2012-06)
Schmitz, Gerd; Effenberg, Alfred O.
In sport accurate predictions of other persons’ movements are essential. Former studies have shown that predictions can be enhanced by mapping movements onto sound (sonification) and providing audiovisual feedback [1]. The present study investigated behavioral mechanisms of movement sonification and scrutinized whether effects of own movements and those of other persons can be predicted just by listening to them. Eight athletes heard sonifications of an indoor rower and quantified resulting velocities of a virtual boat. Although boat velocity was not mapped onto sound directly, it explained subjects’ quantifications by regression analysis (R2 = 0.80) significantly better than the directly sonified amplitude and force parameters. Thus perception of boat velocity might have emerged from those sonifications. Predictions of effects of unknown movements were above chance level and as good as predictions of own movements. Furthermore athletes were able to identify their own technique among others (d’ = 0.47 ± 0.43). The results confirm large perceptual effects of auditory feedback and - most importantly - suggest that movement sonification can address central motor representations just by listening to it. Therefore not only predictability but also synchronization with other persons’ movements might be supported.