Search Results (76)

Recent advances in eye-tracking technologies have fostered growing interest in their integration with acoustic research for investigating auditory perception and human behavioral responses. This study presents a structured literature review of recent developments at the intersection of eye tracking and acoustics, with the aim of analyzing how eye-movement data can support the interpretation of auditory events, spatial listening behaviors, and multimodal human–environment interactions. The reviewed studies were organized into four main research areas focusing on the application of eye-tracking in acoustics: sound source localization and identification, sound event detection and classification, acoustic sensing and multimodal systems, and soundscape and perceptual acoustic studies. The analysis indicates that eye-movement patterns can provide useful indicators of auditory attention and perceptual processes, particularly when combined with complementary physiological, visual, and acoustic sensing modalities. Furthermore, recent methodological advances, including real-time processing, machine learning algorithms, and sensor fusion techniques, have contributed to improving the robustness and accuracy of multimodal data analysis. Nevertheless, the review also highlights several limitations in current research, such as the lack of standardized experimental protocols, inter-individual variability, and susceptibility to environmental noise and external interference. Finally, future research perspectives are discussed, emphasizing the development of standardized and adaptive multimodal frameworks for human behavior modeling and intelligent acoustic monitoring systems. Full article

This conceptual and spiritual autoethnographic essay proposes tendering masculinities as a framework for late-life formation that moves men from performance to presence and from control to communion. Drawing on Jungian alchemy (nigredo, albedo, rubedo) and the movements of decolonizing, queering, and befriending, the piece integrates fieldnotes with theological and depth-psychological reflection to articulate three interwoven practices for elderhood: imperfection as belonging, brokenness as illumination, and holding opposites without hardening. The argument reframes masculine strength as reliable, relational tenderness expressed through micro-practices such as grief literacy, “weaponless speech,” soul friendship (anam cara), and collaborative mentorship within families and intergenerational relationships. Implications are offered for chaplaincy, pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, men’s groups, social work, and family or community contexts, with guidance on designing rituals of lament, contemplative listening, and communities of “steady tenderness.” By bridging depth psychology, poetic theology, and lived practice, the essay suggests that tendered masculinities can help families and relational systems cultivate stronger spiritual resilience, counter patterns of domination or disconnection, and contribute to communal healing. Limitations of single-author autoethnography and pathways for applied, practice-based research are noted. Full article

Studies of vocal communication often focus on the messages that calls and songs convey related to reproductive activities, foraging, predator avoidance, social bonding, individual recognition, and conflict resolution. We consider ways in which vocalizations may dynamically mediate social interactions at a more basic level, through collective coordination of movements and the enhancement of spatial perception. From this perspective, animals may vocalize to probe the locations, movements, and intentions of others, to manipulate position changes by listeners, or to increase their own capacity to localize sounds. An animal’s capacity to flexibly adjust vocalizations, both in real-time and over longer periods, can increase their ability to monitor and influence conspecifics independently of any information that may be encoded within those vocalizations. Beyond simply conveying messages, reproductive fitness, or emotional states, an animal’s ability to modulate vocalizations may dynamically affect its future action plans and social roles within a group. Identifying situational, life-history, and sociospatial factors that determine how animals vocally interact in real-time is key to understanding how an animal’s vocalizations relate to its own actions and the actions of others. Full article

Through theorists like M. Jacqui Alexander, Édouard Glissant, Saidiya Hartman, Carolyn Cooper, and Michelle Wright, this project reconsiders the “vulgarity” attributed to Caribbean musical genres, like dancehall, dembow, and reguetón, as a pedagogical practice: an embodied, sensorial way of knowing that challenges colonial and racialized modes of aesthetics, morality, and order. Through an examination of Vybz Kartel’s “Fever,” Tokischa’s “Sistema de Patio,” and Bad Bunny’s “El Apagón,” I examine how sound, image, and movement converge to create what Alexander calls “pedagogies,” which simultaneously disturb and instruct. These pedagogies of the vulgar illuminate the ongoing impact of colonialism and plantation slavery in the Caribbean, particularly the gendered extraction of labor and capital that continues to shape daily life. In this context, vulgarity is not simply performed but inverted, prompting us to ask what is truly vulgar: Caribbean music and dance, or the systemic violence of Western modernity? These pedagogies foreground the paradoxical beauty of violence and survival, revealing how Caribbean peoples reconfigure “vulgarity” to craft pleasure and freedom amidst constraint. Embracing Michelle Wright’s concept of “epiphenomenal time,” this study invites readers to watch, listen, and feel, reminding us that the pedagogy of the vulgar must be embodied to be understood. Full article

Patient engagement and mental workload (MWL) are often overlooked when optimising robotic-assisted rehabilitation, despite their potential impact on its effectiveness. This study aims to propose a multimodal approach to assess MWL and engagement, using electrophysiological signals and questionnaires, to explore their modulation across different assistance modalities and engaging strategies. Thirty healthy subjects were enrolled and performed repetitive upper-limb movements with a robotic device under three assistance modalities (active, passive, semi-assisted) while listening to a 1 Hz auditory stimulus (metronome or music). Electroencephalography, Electrocardiogram, the NASA Task Load Index, and the Short Stress State Questionnaire were used to assess objective and perceived MWL and engagement. Engagement increased significantly in the music condition, whereas MWL showed no significant change. The passive modality was perceived as significantly less demanding and less engaging compared to active and semi-assisted conditions. Although EEG objective indicators did not vary across modalities, the ECG objective metric was modulated significantly in agreement with the subjective measures. Overall, the auditory stimulus significantly influenced engagement, and assistance levels affected both perceived mental demand and engagement. The proposed multimodal approach is sensitive to both engagement and MWL constructs, highlighting the potential for adaptive rehabilitation systems designed to maintain engagement, prevent overload or monotony, and ultimately support better functional outcomes over the long term of robotic training. Full article

Background/Objectives: People often engage in small, repetitive movements—or “fidgeting”—while listening. This behavior has traditionally been regarded as a sign of inattention. However, recent perspectives suggest that these movements may support engagement and arousal regulation. Yet, little is known about how different types of fidgeting affect the allocation of cognitive resources during auditory processing. This study examined whether hand and leg fidgeting influence pupil-linked arousal and auditory task performance. Methods: Young, healthy adults aged 18–26 years completed four auditory processing tasks while performing either hand fidgeting (manipulating a small fidget toy) or leg fidgeting (very light ergometer pedaling). A control group did not fidget. Pupil-linked arousal was assessed using changes in pupil diameter, and listening performance was evaluated across tasks of varying difficulty. Results: Both forms of fidgeting caused pupil dilation compared to the control group, particularly in the case of Hand Fidgeting during the listening task with speech in noise and the fast speech task. Despite these physiological changes, there were no measurable differences in auditory task performance across conditions. Conclusions: Fidgeting modulates pupil-linked arousal without impairing auditory processing in young, healthy adults. Hand fidgeting may help sustain engagement during demanding listening tasks. However, because the fidgeting was intentional and task performance approached ceiling or floor levels, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary. Future studies should examine whether fidgeting supports arousal maintenance or listening performance in individuals with attentional vulnerabilities or auditory processing difficulties. Full article

Background/Objectives: Children with hearing loss (HL) could experience significant fatigue which compromises their performance. The effort related to the combination of HL and visual impairment in children affected by Usher syndrome (USH) could compromise mental health, socio-emotional behavior and academic achievement. The aim of the present study was to analyse the listening effort in USH cases types 1 and 2 and its relation to age, molecular diagnosis, visual field, visual acuity, degree of HL, vestibular impairment and spatial orientation. Methods: This was a retrospective monocentric study. Twenty children with genetically confirmed USH (USH2 in 15/20–75% and USH1 in 5/20–25%), age range 3–17 years (mean 9.6 ± 4.7), underwent: the Vanderbilt fatigue scale questionnaire (VFS), audiological and vestibular assessment including the Oldenburg Matrix test in Italian and video head impulse test (VHIT), sound localization test and ophthalmologic examination. Results: We observed a more pronounced HL and deteriorated vestibular function in those with USH1. They also employed significantly more time and head movements to localize sounds compared to USH2 and had the worst visual field on eye examination. The VFS did not show significant differences between the two groups, with the exception of the physical fatigue reported by parents. Mean VFS was linearly related to age, the hearing threshold of the worse ear, data logging hours of hearing device, time and head movements of the localization test, VHIT asymmetry and balance problems referred by parents and the visual field. USH type 1 had no greater risk of fatigue than USH2. Profound hearing loss, data logging of hearing device < 8 h a day, difficult localization test, balance problems and low retinal sensitivity represented risk factors for listening effort measured with VFS. Conclusions: Listening effort in difficult environments such as school rooms in USH patients is not only associated to hearing function but also to the spatial awareness determined in part by vestibular and visual function. Teachers should be informed and made aware of multiple comorbidities in order to facilitate learning. Full article

Background: Although the Shared Affective Movement Experience (SAME) model suggests the crucial role of imitation and synchronization in music-induced emotion, their application in teaching settings remains largely unexplored. Objectives: This study compared the “Body Rhythm Teaching Method,” based on the principle of mimicking musical elements through bodily movements, with traditional lecture-based instruction. It examined the effects of both teaching approaches on brain activation patterns, measured via functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning and instructional outcomes (assessed through musical emotion processing and teaching quality evaluations). The aim was to investigate their efficacy in enhancing students’ musical emotional processing abilities. Methods: A total of 3 teachers and 103 student participants were randomly assigned to the lecture teaching group (n = 35), the body rhythm teaching group (n = 35), or the control group (n = 33). The musical materials used across all three groups were identical, with only the teaching methods differing. fNIRS hyperscanning imaging was employed throughout the process to record brain activity. Results: Results indicate that the body rhythm group significantly outperformed other groups in both behavioral and neural metrics. Specifically, during the post-test music-listening phase, participants in this group not only reported higher emotional arousal but also exhibited stronger activation levels in the bilateral frontopolar cortex (FPC) associated with multisensory integration—both significantly higher than those in the lecture group and control group. Furthermore, during instruction, students in the body rhythm group rated teaching quality higher and exhibited significantly stronger teacher–student IBS across multiple brain regions involved in socio-emotional processing. These included the left orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) for interoceptive emotion processing, the left frontopolar cortex (lFPC) for multisensory integration, and the right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG) for social interaction. In contrast, the lecture teaching group only showed significantly higher emotional valence ratings compared to the control group. Conclusions: This study confirms the role of imitation and synchronization mechanisms in the SAME model for music-induced emotional responses, providing a neuroscientific basis for teaching practice. Full article

Accurate spatial sound localization is critical in flight simulators for enhancing situational awareness and pilot training effectiveness, particularly for diagnosing severe faults like engine surge which emit directional sound cues. However, existing spatial audio systems are primarily optimized for a single central listening position, failing to provide consistent localization accuracy for pilots seated in naturally off-center positions within the cockpit. To bridge this gap, this paper proposes a novel compensation method incorporating near-field loudspeakers. A comprehensive mathematical model for multiple off-center listening points is established based on acoustic velocity and energy vector theory. We further formulate a dual-phase optimization framework: a multi-objective model employing the NSGA-II algorithm to Pareto-optimize the trade-off between minimizing localization error and maximizing spatial stability, followed by a maximin model that guarantees robustness during head movements. A formal listening experiment demonstrates that the proposed optimized design significantly improves both localization accuracy and stability over conventional uniform layouts, thereby enhancing the fidelity and safety of flight simulation training. Full article

Music is an elusive phenomenon with sounds that disappear while sounding. This challenges the description of the music and its processing by the listener or performer. A possible answer to this problem lies in the definition of music as flowing sound energy that continuously modifies its substance and shape. Such an approach adheres to the materiality of sound and allows for a description of music in rheological terms. We therefore take as a starting point the analogy of music as a virtual, motional object that follows a trajectory through time, revolving around three major issues: (i) the relation between sound and motion, (ii) the description of motion or movement over time, and (iii) the embodied and enactive character of musical engagement. The paper relies mainly on historical sources—most notably the work of Alexander Truslit on motion perception and Ernst Kurth on energetics—and connects them to modern paradigms of embodied and enactive cognition as applied to music. Full article

Sound source localization represents one of the major challenges for soundscapes due to the dynamicity of a large variety of signals. Many applications are found related to ecosystems to study the migration process of birds and animals other than other terrestrial environments to survey wildlife. Other applications on sound recording are supported by sensors to detect animal movement. This paper deals with the immersive 3D soundscape by using a multi-channel spherical microphone probe, in combination with a 360° camera. The soundscape has been carried out in three Italian squares across the city of Parma. The acoustic maps obtained from the data processing detect the directivity of dynamic sound sources as typical of an urban environment. The analysis of the objective environmental parameters (like loudness, roughness, sharpness, and prominence) was conducted alongside the investigations on the historical importance of Italian squares as places for social inclusivity. A dedicated listening playback is provided by the AGORA project with a portable listening room characterized by modular unit of soundbars. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nonverbal synchrony—the temporal coordination of physical behaviors such as head movement and gesture—is a critical component of effective social communication. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often described as having impairments in such synchrony, but objective and scalable tools to measure these disruptions remain limited. This study aims to assess body motion synchrony in ASD using phase-based features as potential markers of social timing impairments. Methods: We applied a phase difference detection algorithm to high-resolution triaxial accelerometer data obtained during structured, unidirectional verbal communication. A total of 72 participants (36 typically developing TD–TD and 36 TD–ASD) were divided into dyads. ASD participants always assumed the listener role, enabling the isolation of receptive synchrony. Four distribution-based features—synchrony activity, directionality, variability, and coherence—were extracted from the phase difference data to assess synchrony dynamics. Results: Compared to the TD group, the ASD group exhibited significantly lower synchrony activity (ASD: 5.96 vs. TD: 9.63 times/min, p = 0.0008, Cohen’s d = 1.23), greater temporal variability (ASD: 384.4 ms vs. TD: 311.1 ms, p = 0.0036, d = 1.04), and reduced coherence (ASD: 0.13 vs. TD: 0.81, p = 0.036, d = 0.73). Although the mean phase difference did not differ significantly between groups, the ASD group displayed weaker and more irregular synchrony patterns, indicating impaired temporal stability. Conclusions: Our findings highlight robust impairments in nonverbal head motion synchrony in ASD, not only in frequency but also in terms of temporal stability and convergence. The use of phase-based synchrony features provides a continuous, high-resolution, language-independent metric for social timing. These metrics offer substantial potential as behavioral biomarkers for diagnostic support and intervention monitoring in ASD. Full article

(1) Background: Based on the reafference principle, our system creates an efferent signal copy to distinguish external inputs from our activities in the afferent signal. According to this principle, sensory and motor information from the outside world travel together from the periphery to the brain. (2) Methods: This work introduces signal processing methods that extract contextual sensory preferences from motor streams. Speed and acceleration data were collected as participants walked under different conditions: in silence (with open and closed eyes), while listening to two different songs (each with open and closed eyes), and finally while walking to their favorite song. Ten individuals completed a total of seven conditions. (3) Results: Variations in the walking patterns of each participant were identified, revealing the sensory inputs they perceived. The results also indicated the audio and visual conditions that optimized the participant’s sensory–motor system performance. (4) Conclusions: The outcomes suggest that we can extract from motor stream particulars that go beyond an individual’s movement qualities and toward the contextual sensory inputs accompanying the movement data, even when participants execute the very same task of walking. Full article

Pastoral supervision and spiritual direction are inherently personal in nature. They reveal a transformative life of spiritual and soul care demanding the formation of theological reflection, healing, guidance, and discernment. Whilst pastoral supervision serves to guide theological reflection on service and mission, spiritual direction facilitates the moments of awakening to the presence and narrative of God’s grace and work in the depths of the soul. Under the light of Catholic Social Teaching, the notions of solidarity and subsidiarity will be pressed into service to unveil a common spiritual–theological foundation animating the roots of both these ministries. To understand the common dynamics of pastoral supervision and spiritual direction, the article develops a spiritual theology to reveal that both ministries, however distinct in practice, share the same incarnational (creative) and redemptive (re-creative) qualities. In other words, they both share the same source, root, origin, or existence in God’s word and grace. This comes to light by learning to pronounce love in truth, a prophetical work of solidarity and subsidiarity, of friendship and sharing orienting integral human development to listen and respond to God’s movement. The actions of solidarity and subsidiarity are rooted in the beatitude of righteousness revealing the little goodness, a work of possibility and responsibility. Such actions serve to transform the time of ministry into spaces of blessing and mystery, of appreciating the sacredness and unknowability of the other with boldness, curiosity and gentleness. The article concludes by showing how both ministries of pastoral supervision and spiritual direction share the spiritual-pastoral appeal to form communities witnessing the little goodness of love in truth. Full article

Cross-linguistic activation has been frequently demonstrated in bilinguals through eye movements using the visual world paradigm. In this study, we explored if such activations could operate below thresholds of awareness, at least in the visual modality. Participants listened to a spoken word in Hindi or English and viewed a display containing masked printed words. One of the printed words was a phonological cohort of the translation equivalent of the spoken word (TE cohort). Previous studies using this paradigm with clearly visible words on a similar sample have demonstrated robust activation of TE cohorts. We tracked eye movements to a blank screen where the masked written words had appeared accompanied by spoken words. Analyses of fixation proportions and dwell times revealed that participants looked more often and for longer duration at quadrants that contained the TE cohorts compared to distractors. This is one of the few studies to show that cross-linguistic activation occurs even with masked visual information. We discuss the implications for bilingual parallel activation and unconscious processing of habitual visual information. Full article