Confronting ethical and social issues related to the genetics of musicality

Abstract

New interdisciplinary research into genetic influences on musicality raises a number of ethical and social issues for future avenues of research and public engagement. The historical intersection of music cognition and eugenics heightens the need to vigilantly weigh potential risks and benefits of these studies and use of their outcomes. Here we bring together diverse perspectives (complex trait genetics, music cognition, musicology, bioethics, and neuroscience) to guide ethical use of this new knowledge. We discuss a framework for incorporating principles of ethically and socially responsible conduct of musicality genetics research into each stage of the research lifecycle: study design, study implementation, potential applications, and communication about the research. MAIN TEXTWith the publication of the first large-scale Genome-wide Association Study (GWAS) of a musicality trait, 1 timely ethical and social considerations require discussion. This recent GWAS of beat synchronization reveals the genetic architecture of the fascinating human tendency to move in time with a musical "beat" (or pulse), a behavior ubiquitous in musical cultures. 2,3 Neurobiological and psychological evidence previously highlighted how beat synchronization is integral to music-making, dancing, singing, within the landscape of musicality as a platform for exploring fundamental mechanisms of sensation, prediction, coordination, and reward. Moreover, music plays a profound social function for humans and there is mounting evidence of

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