Haptic Stimulation with High Fidelity Vibro-Kinetic Technology Psychophysiologically Enhances Seated Active Music Listening Experience

In the last decade, entertainment industries have been creating multi-sensory experiences using haptic stimulation delivered via vibro-kinetic (VK) seats that produce vibration and motion coincidental with audiovisual content. However, the effects of VK stimulation during purely auditory experiences remains unclarified. We addressed this scientific shortcoming by investigating the effects of high fidelity VK (HFVK) stimulation, on psychophysiological indices of emotional valence and arousal. The HFVK stimulation was delivered to 24 healthy participants through an HFVK enhanced seat during active music listening. Participants listened to six popular songs randomly chosen from a pool of 15 songs, with the songs presented randomly with or without HFVK stimulation. Psychological emotional valence and arousal were indexed based on two items of the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) scale. Physiological emotional valence and arousal were respectively indexed based on micro facial expressions and electrodermal activity. Our results revealed that psychological and physiological valence, and psychological arousal were higher with HFVK stimulation compared to a control condition where the chair was static. A post-experiment questionnaire further revealed greater subjective appreciation for the HFVK stimulation condition compared to the control condition. Overall, our results highlight the potential for HFVK technologies to enhance auditory listening experiences.