Good Vibrations: The Effect of Vibrotactile Stimulation on Perceived and Preferred Loudness of Sounds

Abstract

Music perception is typically considered a purely auditory experience, but it is also affected by other modalities, such as vision and vibrotactile sensation. The present study investigates the effects of vibration on perceived and preferred loudness of sound. We predicted that vibration would increase the perceived loudness of auditory tones (i.e., tones would sound louder if accompanied by a vibration). If perceived loudness increases with vibration, participants might prefer lower loudness when listening to music. To test these hypotheses, 25 participants completed a perceived loudness task and a preferred loudness task while wearing a vibrating backpack. In the perceived loudness task, participants ranked the loudness of two tones, one of which was paired with a vibration. The loudness of the tone with vibration adjusted adaptively until perceived as equally loud. In the preferred loudness task, participants listened to music with and without the vibrating backpack and adjusted the loudness to their preferred level. Results indicated that vibrations significantly increased the perceived loudness of tones, F (1,24)=16.42, p < 001. 𝜂p2 = .41. For preferred loudness, participants significantly (and unexpectedly) increased the music loudness when paired with vibrations, F(9,144)=6.60, p < .001. This unexpected result might stem from increased engagement and enjoyment when the musical experience is accompanied by vibration. In sum, vibrations significantly affect the perceived loudness and experience of music listening. An ongoing follow-up study investigates the loudness threshold with vs. without vibration while blocking vestibular stimulation.

Daniel Collins | Psychological Sciences | Faculty Sponsor Michael Hove