Frisson Waves: Sharing Frisson to Create Collective Empathetic Experiences for Music Performances

Abstract

Frisson is a feeling and a mental experience of body reactions such as shivers, tingling skin, goosebumps. This research proposes Frisson Waves, a real-time system to detect, trigger and share frisson in a wave-like pattern during music performances. The system consists of a physiological sensing wristband for detecting frisson and a thermo-haptic neckband for inducing frisson. This project aims to improve the connectedness of audience members and performers during music performances by sharing frisson. In this thesis, we described thoroughly the literature and works related to exteroception and interoception interaction, emotion contagion, concept design process, and system development process. Results of studies proved a significant effect of triggering frisson, detecting frisson and capability of sharing frisson and primitive enhancement of connectedness in a live performance context.

Frisson Waves

“…In the case of detection, frisson is spread or shared to the audience members sitting next to the one experiencing frisson. In the case of successful induction of frisson, we assume that it is detected and will continue spreading through the audience akin to ripples or waves in the water [21].…”

“…Thermo-haptic Neckband Study In order to test whether the Thermo-Haptic Neckband [22] can trigger frisson at all we conducted a simple user test with 15 volunteers (female=7; male=8) aged 22-37 (mean =26.4). Participants were explained the concept of frisson while the investigators helped them put on the wristband with a frisson-report button.…”