Do Physiological Responses and Personality Traits Relate to Auditory Perceptual Learning in Musicians and Non-Musicians?

Abstract

Peripheral nervous system can influence learning and memory functions by increasing the activity level (‘arousal’) of the system with increasing task difficulty. Several studies show that musicians discriminate auditory stimuli more effectively both neurally and behaviourally. Yet, the effects of individual peripheral nervous responses or personality during auditory learning have not been studied in musicians. In this paper, we show preliminary evidence on physiological differences between musicians and non-musicians during auditory perceptual learning. Results suggest that musicians have higher change in skin temperature and heart rate between resting state and active auditory discrimination than non-musicians. Musicians had also higher levels of approach (vs. withdrawal) related personality trait that correlated with their skin conductance level changes. Approach tendency correlated with respiration in non-musicians. Only musicians showed significant relationship between physiological responses and learning scores in active auditory discrimination task. Taken together, the present results indicate that there are differences in basic physiological processes as well as in personality profiles between musicians and non-musicians.