Human-Technology Interaction and Music Perception and Performance: Toward the Robust Design of Sociotechnical Systems Technical rept

摘要

A common theoretical framework for investigating perception and performance in both human-technology interaction and music is presented. The approach, based on Brunswik's (1956) theory of probabilistic functionalism, describes the challenges faced by both musicians and operators of technological systems. In the perceptual realm, both must accurately infer distal or covert states from proximally available information (e.g., inferring the emotional meaning of a musical composition; inferring the functional meaning of interface displays). In the realm of action, both must select proximally available actions, or means, to achieve their distal ends or goals (e.g., a conductor using hand movements to direct an orchestra, an operator using interface controls to tune an industrial process or respond to a fault). The framework represents these proximal-distal relations, and enables quantitative measurement of the degree to which performers adapt to them. The approach is illustrated with a review of perception and performance research on both music and human-technology interaction previously conducted from a Brunswikian perspective, and our own study of the coordination between a conductor's hand movements and a concertmaster's bowing actions in the opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. A central goal of this paper is that, by providing a common theoretical framework for both music and engineering, we might enhance prospects for research on group musical performance capable of inspiring novel design models for robust sociotechnical systems.