The way you blink while listening to music

[DonM]

There is an article (link is safe) posted on PsyPost summarizing a recent research study where the blinking by adults was measured while they listened to music. Normally we are always focussed on the speakers. Here is a summary of the study for a different perspective:

“The way you blink reveals how music is shaping your attention, new study finds”:

• Key Finding: Blinking can act as a marker of attention, and the way people blink tends to synchronize with the dynamics of the music they’re listening to. This synchronization shapes how attention functions, both during and after listening to music.
• Study Details: Researchers studied 57 adults aged 50–84, assigning them to listen to either high-dynamic music (fast, bright Mendelssohn violin sonata), low-dynamic music (slow, somber Shostakovich string quartet), or silence. Participants then took attention tests before and after a 10-minute listening session, while advanced eye-tracking recorded their blinking.
• Results:
  
  • When listening to high-dynamic music, participants blinked more in sync with rapid changes in the music.
  • With low-dynamic music, blinking was delayed and less frequent in response to changes, indicating more sustained attentional focus.
  • After listening, those exposed to low-dynamic music showed heightened readiness (less blinking in anticipation) and better performance on high-conflict attention tasks, with earlier blinks linked to more accurate responses.
• Interpretations: The study suggests that slower, less complex music may help “tune” attention, helping older adults perform better on demanding cognitive tasks. Earlier blinking may highlight more efficient or confident processing.
• Applications & Questions: While promising, the study only involved two pieces of music and older adults. Researchers hope to extend findings to clinical populations (like stroke survivors with aphasia) and explore whether similar effects appear with different music types or in younger people.

In short: The way you blink while listening to music reveals how your attention is being shaped. Especially for older adults, slower and less complex music appears to improve readiness and task performance by entraining attention in beneficial ways."

 

[Soandso]

Also published in 2025 is the following (cited below) with many good graphic illustrations; the free full text is available on-line. Interstingly, in their "Discussion" the author's mention there are individuals who in adulthood don't perceive rhytmic complexity (which I surmise would add uncertainty to linear predictions of "blinking" attunement.)

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[DonM]

To begin with an average child's aud

Also published in 2025 is the following (cited below) with many good graphic illustrations; the free full text is available on-line. Interstingly, in their "Discussion" the author's mention there are individuals who in adulthood don't perceive rhytmic complexity (which I surmise would add uncertainty to linear predictions of "blinking" attunement.)

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To begin with an average child's auditory development will take place in the following stages:

1. Detection of sound and rhythm begins prenatally.
2. Musical preferences and recognition of melody/rhythm appear in the first year.
3. Basic singing and rhythmic skills develop between 2–5 years.
4. More refined musical hearing and ability emerge through school age and adolescence.

And as you noted there are exceptions which means that as adults they would not react in the same manner (blinking pattern) as described in that research study.
A child who is an exception to typical musical hearing development may:

1. Have hearing issues (hearing loss, frequent ear infections, or auditory processing disorder).
2. Show neurological or cognitive differences (e.g., tone deafness, autism spectrum traits, or language delays).
3. Be influenced by environmental factors (little music exposure or overwhelming noise).

In conclusion I believe that for many adults listening to low dynamic music (music that’s slow, calm, and not too complicated) will provide the following benefits:

1. You focus better: This kind of music helps your brain settle down and pay attention, especially when a task is difficult.
2. You get ready to act at the right time: People listening to this music could react better and at just the right moment—because their brains weren’t as distracted.
3. You make fewer mistakes: The research found that people made more accurate choices when they had listened to this slower, calmer music before doing something that needed concentration.

On a personal note for many years as a Finance Professional during the day at work, I would often wear headphones listening to music while I worked. It felt good and I was productive, but I was not aware of the reasons as described above.