Autonomous Response Research Articles

Understanding the Structural Components Behind the Psychological Effects of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) With Machine Learning and Experimental Methods

Abstract: Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a tingling sensation occurring in response to specific sensory stimuli. Scholarship has yet to investigate what attributes these stimuli possess that allows them to facilitate desirable emotional effects through such atypical psycho-sensorial experiences. In this exploratory investigation, Study 1 utilized machine learning methods to categorize ASMR content based on their sound structures. Four categories emerged that were then used in a second study that utilized an online experiment ( N = 230) to investigate relationships between the categories of sound structures and participants’ psychological experiences of ASMR. These findings help us understand how ASMR content generates arousal and affect that audiences seek.

Prevalence and clinical correlates of misophonia symptoms in the general population of Germany.

Misophonia refers to a phenomenon in which affected individuals have a selective intolerance to sounds of mostly oral or nasal origin. This intolerance is typically associated with strong emotional reactions such as anger, irritation, and disgust. The aim of this study was to conduct the first large epidemiological survey to determine the prevalence of misophonia symptoms in the adult population in Germany. We conducted a large-scale representative population survey between December 2020 and March 2021. For this purpose, a sample of 2,519 people were visited in their households and assessed with the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ) and the Amsterdam Misophonia Questionnaire (AMISOS-R) to document misophonic symptoms. The primary estimate of clinical misophonia symptoms prevalence was based on the MQ Severity Scale and a secondary estimate was based on the AMISOS-R. The survey further included self-ratings to measure perfectionism, not-just-right experience (NJRE), autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and general health as well as demographic data. Five percent of the sample scored equal or above the MQ Severity Scale threshold for clinical misophonia symptoms (5.9% based on AMISOS-R). Individuals with clinical misophonia symptoms had a higher rate of perfectionism, a higher occurrence of NJRE, higher susceptibility to ASMR, and a worse general health status than those scoring below the cut-off-score. All those factors also independently predicted the severity of misophonia symptoms in a multiple regression model. Misophonia is a frequent condition and should further be examined as an independent diagnostic entity.

Comparison of autonomous sensory meridian response and binaural auditory beats effects on stress reduction: a pilot study

This study aimed to compare the effects of Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and binaural beat (BB) on stress reduction, and to determine whether ASMR and BB can induce changes in quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG). A double-blind randomized trial was conducted. Subjects with stress were recruited considering their perceived stress scale (PSS), Beck depression inventory-II (BDI-II), insomnia severity index (ISI), and state-trait anxiety inventory-state anxiety (STAI-S) scores. Subjects listened to ASMR or BB with music (8 Hz for daytime, 5 Hz for nighttime) for 15 min in daytime and 30 min before going to sleep for 3 weeks. QEEG was measured before and after the intervention. Seventy-six participants (57 female, mean age = 46.12 ± 12.01) finished the trial. After the intervention, PSS, BDI-II, ISI, STAI-S, and PSQI scores improved significantly in both groups. BDI-II and ISI mean scores were normalized in both groups after the intervention. Changes of absolute beta and high beta power in the ASMR group were larger than those in the BB group (p = 0.026, p = 0.040, respectively). Both ASMR and BB are equally effective in reducing stress levels. Unlike BB, ASMR can lead to an increase in beta and high beta waves associated with cortical arousal.

Capacity of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response on the Reduction of Mental Stress.

In a social environment, various types of stress can be overwhelming. Humans frequently encounter these stressful situations in social life. Stress is divided into physical stress and mental stress; the latter is induced by heavy mental workloads and has become a huge social problem, leading to mental disorders and possibly suicide in the worst scenario. Investigations into monitoring mental stress and reducing stressful conditions are, therefore, important for its prevention. In the present study, we focused on autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) sound, which is known to improve the human mental condition through its comforting and relaxing effects. We investigated the effect of ASMR on the mental workload induced by mental tasks by the evaluation of EEG activation patterns in normal subjects. Our results showed a significant decrease in alpha-band activity and a significant increase in gamma (high beta)-band activity under the induction of mental workload by mental tasks compared to the resting condition. When applying ASMR sound, alpha- and gamma-band activity under the induction of mental workload by mental tasks was restored to the level of the resting condition. In conclusion, these results indicate that ASMR sound reduces the mental stress induced by mental workload.

Biallelic germline mutations in MAD1L1 induce a syndrome of aneuploidy with high tumor susceptibility.

Germline mutations leading to aneuploidy are rare, and their tumor-promoting properties are mostly unknown at the molecular level. We report here novel germline biallelic mutations in MAD1L1, encoding the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) protein MAD1, in a 36-year-old female with a dozen of neoplasias. Functional studies demonstrated lack of full-length protein and deficient SAC response, resulting in ~30 to 40% of aneuploid blood cells. Single-cell RNA analysis identified mitochondrial stress accompanied by systemic inflammation with enhanced interferon and NFκB signaling both in aneuploid and euploid cells, suggesting a non-cell autonomous response. MAD1L1 mutations resulted in specific clonal expansions of γδ T cells with chromosome 18 gains and enhanced cytotoxic profile as well as intermediate B cells with chromosome 12 gains and transcriptomic signatures characteristic of leukemia cells. These data point to MAD1L1 mutations as the cause of a new variant of mosaic variegated aneuploidy with systemic inflammation and unprecedented tumor susceptibility.

A wind power curtailment reduction strategy using electric vehicles based on individual differential evolution quantum particle swarm optimization algorithm

A wind power curtailment consumption strategy using electric vehicles (EVs) based on individual differential evolution quantum particle swarm optimization algorithm (IDE-QPSO) is proposed, with the objective of reducing the system’s wind curtailment in order to further improve the wind power consumption rate while effectively reducing wind power output fluctuation and amplitude. EV aggregators act as charging tariff setters, releasing dynamic time-of-use tariffs (DTOU) for EV clusters to respond to based on wind curtailment data accounted for by the dispatch center. This method first establishes an electric vehicle charging load model based on the travel chain theory and residents’ travel rules, then establishes an EV users autonomous response model based on the sensitivity of electric vehicle users to the charging prices. Second, a multi-objective optimization function is established based on the aforementioned model, which integrates wind power curtailment consumption and minimizes wind power output fluctuation and amplitude, and it is solved using an improved quantum particle swarm optimization algorithm. Finally, adequate simulation experiments show that this strategy can effectively smooth out the fluctuation of wind power output and improve the wind power consumption rate.

Tingles, sparkles, shivers: Language of affect in online discussions on autonomous sensory meridian response

The audiovisual phenomenon of autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), which has been present on the Internet for several years in the form of relaxing videos posted on YouTube, is enjoying growing popularity. One of the interesting elements of this phenomenon is the affectivity visible in the language used by the members of the community. In this article, I focus on the language used by the ASMR community in online spaces, putting forward the thesis that it corresponds with the language of affect present in the affective turn theories that appreciate bodily sensations as a way of experiencing the world. The article suggests that ASMR is a product of the culture of affect and that the success of this phenomenon is associated with a shift toward the importance of the body and its sensations in Western culture as key elements of the individual’s experience of the surrounding reality.

Sound Quality Factors Inducing the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.

The acoustical characteristics of auditory triggers often recommended to generate the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) on Internet platforms were investigated by parameterizing their sound qualities following Zwicker’s procedure and calculating autocorrelation (ACF)/interaural cross-correlation (IACF) functions. For 20 triggers (10 human- and 10 nature-generated sounds), scores (on a five-point Likert scale) of the ASMR, perceived loudness, perceived pitch, comfort, and perceived closeness to the sound image were obtained for 26 participants by questionnaire. The results show that the human-generated sounds were more likely to trigger stronger ASMR than nature-generated sounds, and the primary psychological aspect relating to the ASMR was the perceived closeness, with the triggers perceived more closely to a listener having higher ASMR scores. The perceived closeness was evaluated by the loudness and roughness (among Zwicker’s parameter) for the nature-generated sounds and the interaural cross-correlation coefficient (IACC) (among ACF/IACF parameters) for the human-generated sounds. The nature-generated sounds with higher loudness and roughness and the human-generated sounds with lower IACC were likely to evoke the ASMR sensation.

Transfer of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) to Relationship Marketing: Potential Effects on Perceived Customer Intimacy

ASMR has attracted considerable attention in social media and advertising practices, but it lacks empirical investigation within marketing science. This study suggests applying ASMR in the design of interactions in relationships between organizations and customers in order to shorten spatial distance evoked by digitization. This experimental study comprises the first empirical investigation of ASMR in the context of relationship marketing with a focus on perceived customer intimacy. The findings demonstrate that the level of perceived customer intimacy depends on individuals’ extraversion and agreeableness, and ASMR may entail the ability to positively influence this intimacy, but is influenced by further variables.

Similar but different: High prevalence of synesthesia in autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR).

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a complex sensory-emotional experience characterized by pleasant tingling sensations initiating at the scalp. ASMR is triggered in some people (called ASMR-responders) by stimuli including whispering, personal attention, and crisp sounds (termed ASMR triggers). Since its inception, ASMR has been likened to synesthesia, but convincing empirical data directly linking ASMR with synesthesia is lacking. In this study, we examined whether the prevalence of synesthesia is indeed significantly higher in ASMR-responders than non-responders. A sample of working adults and students (N = 648) were surveyed about their experience with ASMR and common types of synesthesia. The proportion of synesthetes who were classified as ASMR-responders was 52%, whereas 22% of ASMR-responders were also synesthetes. These results suggest that: (1) over half of those identifying as synesthetes also experience ASMR, and (2) that synesthesia is up to four times as common among ASMR-responders as among non-responders (22% vs. 5%). Findings also suggest a prevalence rate for ASMR of approximately 20%. Overall, the co-occurrence of ASMR and synesthesia lends empirical support to the idea that ASMR may be driven by synesthetic mechanisms, but future research would benefit from examining how ASMR and synesthesia are different, as well as similar.

New Content Marketing Device in Cultural Diplomacy: Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR)

Türkiye’nin kültürel diplomasi aygıtlarının bazı popüler kültür içerikleri etrafında tartışılması, araştırmacıların ve iletişim profesyonellerinin eğilimlerini belirler. Bir ideolojik mücadele alanı ve itibar rekabeti olarak şekillenen kültürel diplomasi ilişkileri, akışkan kültürlerin yöndeştiği bir çağda ulusların marka değeri olarak sahnelendikleri bir temsil tarihinin de katalizör güçleri halini alır. Kültürün pazarlanabilirlik fikri her ne kadar kültür endüstrileri kavramsalı ile eleştirel teorinin üretim hareketlerini cezbetse de kültürel diplomasinin oluşturduğu pazarın kendine özgü endüstriyel bir değer arz ettiği görülür. Bu çalışma, Türkiye’nin bazı aygıtlara indirgenen ve kısır döngüye girmesi muhtemel olan kültürel diplomasi faaliyetleri için alternatif trendleri tartışmayı ve bu trendlerin kontrollü imaj aksiyonları için bütünleşik bir pazarlama aksamına entegre edilmesi için gereken ilk ilgiyi inşa etmeyi amaçlar. Çünkü kültür endüstrilerinin tüm hamleleri, bir bütünleşik pazarlama stratejisinin parçası olarak trans-medya anlatım sinerjisini gerektirir. Bu kapsamda bir kültürel diplomasi aygıtı olarak tartışılan Otonom Duyusal Meridyen Tepkisi (ASMR), dinleyen/izleyen kişide karıncalanma hissine bağlı bir rahatlamaya neden olan yeni bir tür tahrik edici/tetikleyici anlatım tarzı olması dolayısıyla önemlidir. Bu çalışmada, ASMR’nin kültürel diplomasi boyutundaki iletişim gücüne ilişkin bir teorik okuma yapılarak ulus markalama için yeni imkanlar tartışılacaktır.

"No pain, no gain": The impact of autonomous sensory meridian response on pain perception.

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a phenomenon characterised by a static-like tingling sensation spreading from the scalp and neck to the periphery in response to a variety of audio, visual, and tactile triggers resulting in a highly relaxed state and boosted positive affect. The limited literature on this phenomenon points to a potential of ASMR to alleviate pain. Emerging evidence also suggests that ASMR may be linked to increased sensory sensitivity more broadly. This study aimed to objectively address these claims by administering an algometer (measure of pain tolerance), and a visual analog scale (VAS) (measure of subjective pain sensitivity) to ASMR experiencers and controls at baseline, following an ASMR video, and a control video. Findings indicate that ASMR experiencers have a higher pain sensitivity than controls; however, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of pain tolerance. In addition, any potential analgesic properties associated with experiencing ASMR may reflect protective properties of ASMR buffering against the increased pain sensitivity among ASMR experiencers relative to controls.

Research on the Relationship Between Flexible Contract Term Setting Method and Setting Effect of Environmental Protection PPP Project

Environmental protection PPP projects (EP-PPP) are subject to uncertainty during the project cycle, setting flexible project contract terms in their contracts can help establish and maintain an effective partnership. This article aims to reveal the contract flexibility mechanism of EP-PPP projects by studying the relationship between flexible contract term setting methods and their effects. Questionnaires, case studies and structural equation modeling (SEM) are applied to conduct quantitative analysis. The research shows that although some flexible terms have been adopted in current EP-PPP contracts, there is still much room for improvement. In order to deal with unforeseen risks and challenges, it is necessary to consider: (1) List uncertainties as much as possible and set up response methods accordingly; (2) Guarantee a certain degree of flexibility in uncertainty response methods; (3) Give the project itself a certain degree of autonomous response power; (4) Leave plenty space for changes that may be needed in the future. The study results can help project practitioners enhance their understanding of flexible contract terms and help to promote contract flexibility in EP-PPP projects in a context-specific manner, thereby facilitating project success.

Touching you, touching me: Higher incidence of mirror-touch synaesthesia and positive (but not negative) reactions to social touch in Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response

The characterisation of autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) as an audio-visual phenomenon overlooks how tactile experiences are not just perceptual concurrents of ASMR (i.e., tingling) but also commonly strong ASMR inducers. Here we systematically investigated whether ASMR-responders show altered tactile processing compared to controls. Using a screening measure of vicarious touch with a predefined cut-off for mirror-touch synaesthesia (MTS; a condition where tactile sensations are experienced when viewing, but not receiving, touch), we found that ASMR-responders had more frequent and intense vicarious touch experiences, as well as a strikingly higher incidence of MTS, than non-responders. ASMR-responders also reported greater reactivity to positive, but not negative, interpersonal touch. Correlations further showed these patterns to be more prevalent in those responders with stronger ASMR. We discuss the implications of our findings in terms of heightened sensory sensitivity, bodily awareness, and the underlying neuro-cognitive mechanisms driving vicarious tactile perception in ASMR and MTS.

The Feeling of Sound: Music Curating, Performing and Connecting with and through Music

Long story short In this research exposition, I would like to invite the reader on a journey of discovery in the field of classical music presentation. Over the last 50 years there have been many suggestions on how to allow the professional field of classical music to develop alongside its time and people. To get a new perspective on the topic, I approach ASMR as a connected topic, investigate it under the aspect of listening and then make a transfer to my professional practice. ASMR stands for autonomous sensuous meridian response and is describing a special kind of sensory perception. I study ASMR as way of perception and as well as a YouTube / media phenomenon. My research question is: What can I learn from ASMR (about contemporary audience’s perception of sound) and how can I integrate this in my artistic practice? When I talked to colleagues or teachers from a classical music context, ASMR appeared to them at first as something bizarre and insignificant. Still, it has millions of followers on the internet. A large number of followers is not necessarily an indicator of artistic quality, but it can certainly be an argument to arouse curiosity. After all, the number of followers towards a subject does say something about its appeal or the ability to grasp people. By comparing ASMR to synaesthesia, I want to focus on perception and sensuousness but also explore common traits and differences of the two phenomena as both neurological phenomenon and the social (artistic) movement. An analysis and five experiments involving technological and dramaturgical tools often used in ASMR, leads to the final chapter: the artistic implementation. During the two years of my master studies, I designed two performance concepts, in which I applied the insights I gained throughout this research. A documentation of the process and a more elaborate explanation of the concept are to be found in chapter 4. In the end of this exposition, I summarize the conclusions of the research I made on a general and on a personal level. In order to acquire more information as well as a wider view, I have reached out to literature within the fields of sociology, (social) history, psychology, neuroscience and philosophy . During my years of studies in music, music pedagogic, historical and innovative performance practice, I quenched my thirst for knowledge about the past and now I am hungry to learn about the now and the future.

Autonomous Chemistry Enabling Environment-Adaptive Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices

Autonomous Chemistry Enabling Environment-Adaptive Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices

What Does ASMR Sound Like? Composing the Proxemic Intimate Zone in Contemporary Music

Over the past decade, the viral circulation of the acronym ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) has brought a new sensation and audiovisual genre to the attention of the internet-connected world. This phenomenon has attracted the interest of contemporary music composers, who have begun using the term ASMR as a shorthand for a broader theoretical category that involves the assemblage of a specific sound quality, its aisthesis, and a range of compositional, performance, and recording techniques through which they are manipulated. Based on interviews with eight living composers (Carola Bauckholt, Chaya Czernowin, Andrew Harlan, Ole Hübner, Neo Hülcker, Allan Gravgaard Madsen, Morten Riis, and Charlie Sdraulig), I argue that the term ASMR is used as a shorthand to invoke the ‘intimate zone’. As one of the four zones of human interaction formalised by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in his theory of proxemics, the intimate zone emerges from the ways in which space, the sensorium, and one’s sense of self mould each other. After deconstructing the nature of ASMR as an autonomous galvanic response, and combining the framework of proxemics with that of ‘cultural techniques’, I articulate the ways in which the composers use the term ASMR to speak about features of past contemporary art music as well as their current work. I then describe the strategies employed in their compositions to engage the intimate zone and divide them into two main categories. The first involves calibrating the perceived proximity of the audience to the sound object, while the second involves manipulating the space in which this interaction occurs.

University students’ Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) experiences in the light of a well-being theory

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is an atypical and multisensory phenomenon in which specific audio-visual stimuli elicit a pleasurable, head-oriented tingling sensation and feelings of relaxation. The purpose of this research was to analyze the ASMR experiences of university students in the light of well-being theory. Two-phased, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with three Finnish university students who identified themselves as ASMR experiencers. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Coding was guided by the domains of well-being in the PERMA model: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. The objective was to explore effect of students’ ASMR experiences on their well-being. The findings show that ASMR videos enhanced the well-being of the participants through mindfulness-like experience. The potential of ASMR videos to promote psychosocial wellbeing is intriguing, and this research provide new understanding about ASMR experiences and their meaning.

일본의 ｢거래 디지털 플랫폼을 이용하는 소비자의 이익 보호에 관한 법률｣에 관한 고찰

Digital platforms - where businesses supply goods or services, and consumers purchase them - have become essential to our daily lives and to the world economy. Problems such as the distribution of unsafe products, etc., and difficulty in identifying sellers in resolving disputes exist on "digital platforms" such as online marketplaces. In response to this, a new Act was prepared to protect consumer interests. In order to contribute to the optimization of mail-order transactions (Business to Customer transactions) conducted using digital platforms and the promotion of dispute resolution, digital platform providers are obligated to make efforts to implement and disclose an outline of the following measures listed in Act (and the Prime Minister draws up guidelines for specific content). The Prime Minister requests that digital platform providers remove listings, etc. of unsafe products when it is difficult to enforce relevant Individual Acts due to reasons such as that the seller cannot be specified. Establishes the right to request the disclosure of seller information as necessary when consumers make a claim for damages, etc. A public-private council consisting of national government agencies, groups consisting of digital platform providers, consumer groups, etc. will be organized to discuss matters that each entity is responsible for handling, such as dealing with malicious sellers. Establishing of a reporting system in which consumers, etc. can report the risk of damage to consumers and request that the Prime Minister (Consumer Affairs Agency) takes appropriate measures in response to this. The Act has modell characteristics in that it emphasizes autonomous response without hindering the innovation of the platform business model from an outsider's point of view. However, not all contents of the Act are modell characteristics.

Capitalism Ate My Sleep but ASMR Brought It Back. Sleep as a Manageable Commodity in the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response Online Community

This article focuses on the perception of sleep in the digital culture of autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), examining both viewer-listeners’ online discussions about the impact of ASMR videos on their sleep and the content of audiovisual materials published on YouTube. The paper posits that sleep is viewed in two ways in the ASMR community; on the one hand, in a capitalist sense as a manageable and controllable object, and, on the other, as an element that escapes this discourse. The ASMR culture, while affirming contemporary normative sleep patterns, simultaneously invites its enthusiasts to slow down, unwind, and relax, thereby aligning itself with the slow movement.