This study offers a critical discussion of the term "open-earedness", which David Hargreaves introduced in 1982. Despite the lack of an exact definition, the term has been used as a theoretical basis for numerous studies in recent years. We show that such an ambiguous term might lead to conceptual and methodological inconsistencies in scientific contexts, which in turn calls into question the validity of any results that have been published as a result. Therefore, based on the semantic discussion of recent circumscriptions of "open-earedness" as "musical tolerance" and "curiosity", we develop a consistent definition and methodological operationalization, and propose the Osnabrück Open-Earedness Index (OOI) as a measure of open-earedness. Lastly, we introduce a few basic empirical findings based on this new approach.

Im Geleitwort zur ersten Ausgabe erläutern die Herausgeber die Hintergründe und den Entstehungsprozess des neuen 'Online First' Publikationsmodus des 'Jahrbuchs Musikpsychologie' und stellen die Prinzipien des neuen Modells vor.

The art of sound design for a moving picture rests basically on the work experience of pragmatists. This study tries to establish some guidelines on sound design: In an experiment 240 participants gave feedback about their emotions while watching two videos, each combined with four different audio tracks – music, sound effects, full sound design (music and sound effects) and no audio (as the comparative "null" version). Each participant viewed an audiovisual combination once to prevent habituation. The lead author employed a tablet-computer with the emoTouch-application serving as a mapping tool to provide information about the emotional responses. The participants moved a marker on the tablet's touch screen in a two-dimensional rating scale describing their felt immersion and suspense. A 3-factor-ANOVA showed significant increases of the median (and maximum) values of immersion and suspense when the participants listened to music and/ or sound effects. These values were always compared to the induced emotions of the participants who watched the videos with no audio at all. The video with full sound design audio tracks increased the median immersion values up to four times and the median suspense values up to 1.4 times. The median suspense values of the video with either music or sound effects dropped by 40 percent compared to the median suspense values of the null version. In contrast, the median immersion values were increased up to 3.6 times. The findings point to the importance of sound effects in an appropriate mix with music to enhance the viewers induced immersion and suspense.

emoTouch Web is a new web-based system for designing, conducting and evaluating continuous real-time studies in all disciplines dealing with time-bound phenomena, such as music, theatre, dance, film, commercials, lectures, speeches or sport events. The system uses modern web and network technologies to easily turn every modern smartphone, tablet, or computer into a flexible and reliable research tool for continuous response studies in laboratory, online and live settings. Even the participant’s own devices can be used easily (“Bring-Your-Own-Device”, BYOD). The system contains coordinated tools for the graphical and numerical review, evaluation and analysis of the collected real time data in longitudinal and cross-section. emoTouch Web may be used free of charge for scientific purposes.

No abstract