A recent study reveals that the desire to move to music—referred to as “groove”—is a distinct physiological response, separate from the enjoyment of music itself. Researchers studied individuals with musical anhedonia, a condition where people feel little or no pleasure from music, and discovered that they still experienced a strong urge to move in response to rhythmic beats.
When participants rated both their pleasure and their urge to move, results suggested that movement may independently produce a sense of reward, even in those who do not find music enjoyable. Contrary to earlier assumptions, these individuals exhibited typical groove responses, indicating that the brain processes rhythm-induced movement differently from musical enjoyment.
Key Insights:
- Movement-Induced Reward: Even without deriving pleasure from music, individuals with musical anhedonia still feel compelled to move to rhythmic sounds.
- Distinct Neural Pathways: Groove may be linked to the dorsal striatum, which governs movement, while musical pleasure involves the ventral striatum.
- Next Steps in Research: Future studies will use MRI and magnetoencephalography to explore differences in brain connectivity in people with musical anhedonia.
