Effects of Aural and Visual Conditions on Response to Perceived Artistic Tension in Music and Dance

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aural, visual, and combined aural/visual conditions on the emotional response to music and dance of musicians and nonmusicians. Measurement was recorded on the perceived amount of artistic tension occurring in three stimuli. Subjects were randomly assigned to three experimental groups: aural-only, visual-only, and combined aural/visual. Stimuli used for the experimental conditions were three dance excerpts. Subjects were asked to indicate degrees of perceived artistic tension by manipulating a Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI) dial during experimental conditions. Additional data were gathered using a questionnaire. Results indicated no significant differences in perceived artistic tension between musicians and nonmusicians. Additionally, no differences were found in perceived artistic tension among the responses to the three experimental conditions. Subjects responded similarly regardless of whether they had previously considered the existence of artistic tension. A significant difference occurred in subject response to each of the three stimuli.