Imbodylab

A composite image illustrating different stages of a movement sonification workshop. (a) A group of participants engaging in a synchronized movement exercise, bending forward with extended arms, as part of an exploratory warm-up session. (b) A participant in a patterned shirt and brown pants performing expressive movements while others observe; a facilitator with a laptop is in the background, supporting the sonification setup. (c) A participant’s response sheet featuring a body map with hand-drawn markings indicating areas where they felt bodily sensations in reaction to movement sonifications. The sheet includes handwritten reflections on how the sound influenced their movement, emotions, self-perception, and social interaction. The image captures key aspects of a research methodology aimed at articulating body perception changes in response to auditory feedback.

Doi:

Abstract:

Auditory feedback of body movement has shown to alter one’s body perception. We present a multidisciplinary strategy for articulating how body feelings are affected by movement sonifications. Through a participatory workshop involving methods from design research in HCI and cognitive science, we gathered qualitative and quantitative data revealing contrasting body feelings for two sonifications. Analyses revealed that agility/rigidity, weakness/strength, salience of body boundaries, emotions, and different bodily areas were differently affected. Our findings evidence this paradigm as efficient for distilling qualities altered by sonifications. We discuss its relevance for early stages of the research inquiry and its particular importance in the context of body movement sonifications.